Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish
by Kumiko Seph
Summary: [Part 4 in 'The Language of Flowers' series] After all of the challenges Loki and Amelia had faced, who could have known that raising children was going to be the most difficult?
1. The Art of Magic

**Welcome to instalment number 4 of The Language Of Flowers! :D**

**The first three or so chapters will be Loki and Amelia's "honeymoon" aka relaxation time in Asgard (before eventually heading back to Manhattan), and they will be having some fun times and some not so fun times! xD I've gotta drag some light angst in somewhere, it's always fun to write and people love it. But obviously it won't be anywhere near the level of angst in the previous stories. Just a sprinkle of it here and there to keep that drama going. To keep that hurt/comfort in the tags xD**

**This fic WILL contain sexual scenes, but there will be warnings for them, so that you may skip them if you don't wish to read them.**

**After the first few chapters, it'll basically be all about the pregnancy and babies :) Hope you're all excited for it!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter One: The Art of Magic

The air was warm the morning after their wedding. It was the soft, floral scent wisping through the room that had eventually roused Amelia from her comfortable slumber, and when she blinked her eyes open, they adjusted to the glow of sunlight that streamed in through the curtains hanging from the bed posts.

It was the perfect thing to wake up to. The dull ache in her muscles reminded her of the enthusiastic night of passion she and Loki had shared together, and just thinking about it brought a lazy, tired smile to her face.

Loki was there beside her, still drifting amidst the blissful unaware, sprawled out across the huge bed; if Amelia had moved even an inch, it would probably have been enough to jostle him awake, but the sight of him looking so peaceful and open in his state of repose was enough to keep her as still as possible. It was a surprise that the sound of her sigh when she'd opened her eyes hadn't been enough to wake him, like it had many times before.

Perhaps it was because Loki felt truly secure within the palace of New Asgard, and thus allowed himself to relax more easily, or perhaps it was the many rounds of sex from the previous night, in addition to the exciting day they'd had, that left him utterly spent.

Either way, Amelia was thankful for the quiet moments she could spy upon Loki's tranquil face without his knowledge. He looked so damn _adorable _when his eyebrows weren't furrowed, like how they seemed to permanently be while he was awake - not that it made him any less attractive, of course. Her _husband _was the most gorgeous of men.

The realisation that she could actually call him that now was enough to coax a giggle from her throat. _Husband. _They were _married. _Amelia could have jumped for joy if her muscles didn't protest the idea.

A quiet snort from Loki indicated his stirring, and Amelia smoothed her palm out over his bare chest, leaning over to gently kiss the corner of his mouth. Then, as an afterthought, she ran a teasing finger around one of his nipples.

It prompted him to shiver and inhale a deep breath, and before Amelia could process it, her hand was snatched up and held above her head, and her husband was poised above her on all fours, a languid desire shining in the beautiful green hue of his eyes.

"You really want to get me going again?" Loki murmured, his voice rather raw from having just awoken, and it sent a pleasing tingle down Amelia's spine.

"Mm. Wouldn't mind it," Amelia whispered an inviting taunt, despite the pain in her muscles. There was something exhilarating about the prospect of fucking her husband all night and all day, she suspected her pregnancy hormones were to blame. Either that, or she was still living off the high of tying the knot with the man she loved.

A throaty chuckle escaped Loki, and down he leant, kissing Amelia's lips with surprising gentleness. It only fuelled Amelia's need, she found it so alluring how one night he could be all about visceral pleasure, and the next morning he would be peppering soft kisses over his lover's body, proving that he was the best of both worlds.

"As much as I would love to have you again right now, over and over till your entire body is trembling and oversensitive-" from the smirk on his face, Amelia knew he was trying to rile her up on purpose, "-you are in pain, and we are covered in dried bodily fluids, so I think a warm bath is in order."

A playful pout reached Amelia's lips, "How did you know I'm aching?"

"You're my wife, and I know things." Despite his declaration that they would be bathing instead of engaging in another bout of relentless sex, Loki's fingers seemed awfully insistent on touching Amelia's skin with unbearable yearning. He wasn't subtle as he gazed at her breasts and her stomach while his fingers traced wherever they wanted in burning circles.

Though it appeared the touch was more innocent than Amelia first believed, because the desire in Loki's eyes had been replaced with doting adoration.

"My wife." Loki repeated, as if testing the words on his tongue.

"Yours." Amelia affirmed, sighing softly from the touch. Her insides turned to jelly when Loki flashed her an answering smile that was so pure and genuine, it caught her off guard.

They bathed in wonderfully warm water, scented with floral oils, and washed the evidence of the previous night from their bodies together, and relaxed until the heat wheedled the sting from Amelia's muscles, leaving room only for deep satisfaction. She lost count of the many sighs that escaped the two of them throughout the entire time they were in the tub.

When they were done, they stepped out of the water, and before Amelia could reach for the towel hanging nearby, Loki's hand was placed over her head, and in the blink of an eye, all the wetness on her body dispersed and left her dry. It was an astoundingly strange sensation, and it took Amelia several moments to understand what had happened.

"What did you do?"

"I dried you," Loki stated, and proceeded to do the same for himself, "it is faster than towel drying."

That much was clear, but the demonstration of Loki's magic being used in such a mundane way reminded Amelia of his promise to teach her how to control her borrowed magic and how to do mystical things that mortals could not usually do.

"You still need to teach me magic, Loki. You promised," Amelia pointed out, very easily swayed by the desperate desire to do fascinating things. She turned and reached for her robe, purple and silky, and slipped her arms into the sleeves before threading her fingers through her frizzed up hair in an effort to control it. Loki's little magic trick hadn't taken into account just how poofy her hair got when going from wet to dry so quickly. It probably looked really silly.

Loki seemed to think it amusing, because his eyes lingered on her head with a small and subtle smile. "Learning magic requires patience and focus. Do you think you're ready to exercise those traits?"

"Ehh, I can try!" Amelia shrugged, a dopey grin on her face. While she wasn't expecting Loki to agree to give her magic lessons right at that moment, a part of her secretly wished that he would. If she was only going to have her magic powers until the babies came, she wanted to make the most of it while she could still utilise that energy.

Loki surprised her. "Alright. I can try and teach you something." He slipped on his own green robe and took her hand, leading her back into their main room; he urged her towards the doors that led to the balcony and opened them up, but he did not head out. Instead, he retrieved two cushions from the recliner and placed them down a couple feet apart, just inside the room.

He must have seen the confused look on Amelia's face because he offered an explanation, "You want the perfect balance between relaxed but not distracted. The fresh air will help pacify you, but you want to keep away from any noises or imagery that might draw your focus." He sat down cross-legged on one of the cushions, and motioned the other with his hand, "Sit down, then."

Amelia took her place with a slightly skeptical smile on her face, and looked at her husband, "So what are you gonna teach me first? To move things with my mind? Ooh, to become invisible!?"

"No." Loki's eyebrows rose, "First lesson. I'd like to see if you can control your magic. Call upon it at will, make it _obey _your wishes." At the sight of Amelia's lips pulling into a slight frown, Loki reiterated, "We do this first, and _then _I will teach you how to move objects with magical energy. Alright?"

Amelia's face brightened again, "Okay. So what do I do?"

Loki peered down at Amelia's slumped posture with a critical eye, "Sit up straight, don't slouch." He reached out and uncoiled her with a few bossy hand movements before aligning his own back. "I'll show you first what I want you to do, and then I want you to give it a go."

Amelia nodded wordlessly, watching curiously as Loki held his hands apart, palms facing each other, and presumably called upon his magical energy. After a beat of nothingness, a very peculiar looking light seemed to emanate from between his hands, suspended in the air, and then all at once it grew brighter and larger. The sparks and flashes of green created the form of the magical ball, and Amelia stared at it, completely mesmerised.

It didn't last long before the illumination diminished out of existence, and Loki gaze Amelia an expectant look, "Your turn."

Amelia blinked, holding out her hands before her just as Loki had done, but then faltered, "But what do I _do?"_

Loki held her wrists to steady her hands, "Feel the magic energy thrumming inside you. Feel it flow through your veins, you know the feeling, you felt it before, on the ship, remember? You already know what it feels like. Let it gather at your fingertips and push it out, forming the sphere." Amelia listened to his instructions, and furrowed her eyebrows as she stared down at her hands, trying to do as he had done.

It wasn't exactly simple, and the harder she tried, the less likely it felt she was going to succeed. After a long minute of nothing, Loki let out a sigh.

"Stop," he said, "you're not going to get anywhere by holding your breath and straining your muscles."

"But-"

"That's not how it works, Amelia. I told you to _relax. _Try again." Loki's words were firm but gentle as he sat back and crossed his arms, observing her once more in her endeavour.

Amelia let the frustration and lack of understanding show on her face, and when she held her hands apart for a second attempt, Loki began to speak softly.

"Close your eyes, if it makes it easier to concentrate," he directed, and Amelia did so, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, "Focus on the feeling of the magic within you. Can you feel it, Amelia?"

She could feel it. When she concentrated, she was able to catch the sensation of warmth and power seemingly vibrating below her skin, giving off a sense of vigour that made Amelia feel _stronger. _If she were to give a descriptor to the feeling, she would say it sort of felt like a hug from Loki - a constant and amorous embrace. It made sense, it was _his _magic planted inside her, after all.

"Feel the warmth of the sun on your face, the cool breeze as the wind blows, but don't let the noise distract you. Let the magic collect at your fingertips. If it tries to escape to other parts of your body, redirect it. Send it to your _hands." _

Amelia wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to do that, but she remained quiet and focused, imagining as if she was holding the door open and letting the magic energy bustle on through, but standing in its way if it tried to clamour back out. She remembered to breathe, pushing more and more energy back with each long exhale.

"You're doing well. Keep going," Loki encouraged, and Amelia's lips pulled into a smile.

"Whatever you're thinking about, stop. Keep your mind on the task, Amelia." There was no bite behind his scolding, and as much as Amelia wanted to giggle, she managed to push the smile from her face. In all truth, she had been thinking of the first time Loki had tried to teach her some self-defense alongside Natasha, how he had been harsh in his criticisms when she showed little progress.

A lot had changed since then. He understood Amelia's drive for aspirations, and what it was that pushed her forward. _Positive_ reinforcement.

To Loki's credit, he showed a lot of patience as Amelia tried and failed several times to achieve what was probably the easiest thing in the world for him. He'd hardly batted an eyelid when he'd made the glowing green ball appear between his hands, it was probably second nature to him.

"I know you can do this, Amelia. I've seen the things you can do." No doubt he was referring to the moment Amelia's life had been in grave danger, when Ularis had her hands around Amelia's neck, squeezing with a purpose, and Amelia had had no choice but to let the magic energy go all at once in an explosive wave.

It had been powered by desperation at the time. Harnessing control and trying to get the magic to do exactly what she wanted it to was a very different experience.

"Almost, Amelia. You're close, I can sense it."

The underlying eagerness in his voice sent a wave of excitement through Amelia, and solidified her determination to do this simple, yet excruciatingly _complex _task instead of throwing in the towel. Loki was right, she _could _do this. She'd called upon the magic when she'd needed it most before, and it had listened to her then. It would damn well obey her now.

"Yes! That's it!" Loki exclaimed, and Amelia's eyes flew open to view her progress.

The illumination of green energy fizzled between her palms, about the size of a small marble, probably looking rather pitiful to somebody who had trained well in the art of magic. Loki's magic sphere had been about the size of a soccer ball, majestic and dazzling, so much more _incredible _than what was crackling and sputtering between the space of Amelia's hands in that moment.

And yet, the look on Loki's face was that of joy. He looked genuinely proud of her, and it made Amelia's lip tremble to look upon his authentic grin.

Naturally, Amelia became distracted by her husband's face, and the tiny ball of otherworldly power hissed out of existence very quickly, leaving her somewhat embarrassed, "Ah… well… maybe I can try again later…"

Loki could sense the self-doubt in Amelia's voice, the underlying tone that suggested she wasn't too impressed with her own abilities - _because it was such a tiny display and she barely held it for more than a few seconds_ \- and he thwarted those thoughts at once. Leaning forward, he caught Amelia's lips, his hand around the back of her head holding her closer, and grinned when they parted, "You did _fantastically _my dear. Marvellously, in fact. Your powers are young, and you are inexperienced when it comes to both the practical and theoretical side of magic, but that does not mean that you can't grow more adept through practise."

Amelia was immediately soothed and swayed by his words, and fell forward into his embrace, snuggling up against him as the summer breeze rolled through the room. Now that she thought about it, she _did _do good. How many humans were able to achieve what she had just achieved? Not many at all.

"Mmm," she hummed contentedly, "perhaps you'll make a sorceress out of me yet."

Loki laughed, "Maybe. You'll have to join me in meditation to hone your focus if you want to become as powerful as I."

"Ugh. Meditation is _boring _though. You just sit there doing nothing."

"You think that when I meditate several times a week, I'm just sitting there doing nothing?"

Amelia tilted her head back and looked up at Loki, "Yep."

Loki rolled his eyes with a smile at his lips, "Shows how much you know. You should try it some time-" he glanced down at Amelia's stomach and his hand moved over it, "meditation is good for relieving stress, and I heard that stress is bad for pregnant women, so it makes sense that you should give it a go."

Amelia followed Loki's gaze to her stomach and rested her hand over his. She was now three months along in total. Twelve weeks into her pregnancy, and her stomach was visibly beginning to swell - she was shocked at how quickly the days were slipping by. The excitement of her wedding the day before had completely distracted her from it, but just the thought of what was to come brought that pesky, prickling anxiety feeling back.

There was a lot that needed to be done - a lot of preparation and research and learning - Amelia knew she would have to visit the closest library back in Manhattan and check out as many books as she could on the topic of pregnancy and parenting. But they had received a lot of support already from the rest of the Avengers, and the reassurance was incredibly helpful. They weren't going to be alone in their journey into parenthood. They had _help, _which was always good to know.

"...Loki," Amelia said his name absently after a few minutes of staring at her belly, "do you think they're going to inherit your magic abilities?"

"Mmm," Loki hummed idly, "I hope so."

The thought of having twins with an affinity for magic may have sounded like a sweet little notion at first, but the only thing running through Amelia's head was the potential for a _whole _lot of mischief. She could picture herself then, rushing around in a panic in search for her twin children after they'd cast a spell and turned themselves invisible.

"Well, you better teach them to use magic _responsibly_ if that's the case."

Loki smiled, "No promises, my love." And with that, he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, knowing it would make her melt like putty in his hands.

* * *

**As always, please drop me a comment to let me know what you think - feedback makes everything easier! And if you have any more ideas you want to see with Amelia and Loki, feel free to suggest them as I'm still taking ideas!**


	2. The Privilege of Touch

**I'm so excited to be able to post the next chapter so quickly! Writing chapters of fics that aren't so intricately connected is so much easier! I hope you all enjoy this! **

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Two: The Privilege of Touch

It was quite bizarre to watch Loki actually kick back and relax for once in his life. The God of Mischief was a very active character, Amelia knew how true this was - in Manhattan, he would often wake up very early and spar in the training room for a couple of hours before returning to their bedroom for a shower, usually finishing just as Amelia would wake from her slumber. Just in time for a morning peck on the lips.

And he only got more energetic from there. Throughout the day he would intermittently workout - pushups, pullups, crunches, all kinds of exercises that made Amelia tired simply from watching - and _occasionally_ he would go for a late night run when the streets were not so busy.

All in all, Amelia rarely saw Loki stationary, unless something was wrong. He was quite obsessed with staying in shape and honing his powers to make sure they stayed sharp - which wasn't at all a bad thing, but it sometimes made Amelia feel a little bit sluggish. In comparison to Loki, she was practically a couch potato. Sure, she liked to do a little jogging and always attend her self-defense lessons, but usually it did not equal to anymore than seventy-five minutes a day.

All of this only made it even more weird to observe Loki as he lay across the bed on his stomach, dressed in his flimsy silk robe, nose buried in a very old-looking book. He even had his legs bent up in the air in the same way Amelia imagined a teenage girl would lie as she wrote tasty secrets in her diary.

Amelia herself was sitting at the vanity, trying on the various gifts of jewellery she had received from the many nobles that had presented them with wedding gifts. They were all very pretty and shiny pieces, but none were as beautiful as the wedding ring on her finger or the topaz bracelet around her wrist. The gems and jewels she had received from people she had mostly never spoken a word to were clearly not out of any sort of sentiment, and thus she chose not to wear them in favour of adorning her gifts from Loki.

_But anyway, back to Loki._

Every so often, Loki would raise his hand above the book and sway his fingers in what was probably a very specific, distinct motion, but happened to look a little silly out of context. His finger movements mirrored what Amelia had sometimes seen him do whilst performing magic, so she could only assume he was practising the gesticulations of spells in the book his eyes were glued to.

After a while, he rolled over onto his back and held the book up above his head, continuing to read.

It made Amelia laugh, and her laugh made Loki lower the book to his chest and eye her with suspicion.

"What?"

Amelia shook her head, "You looked a bit restless, that's all." He had been shuffling around every so often, not quite finding a good enough position to comfortably read in, and Amelia wondered if it was perhaps because he wasn't used to slowing down and unwinding a little.

Loki gave a hum and then returned to his book, carefully flicking one of the tattered pages.

"What are you reading?" Amelia's curiosity was piqued.

"It's one of my mother's old spellbooks," Loki enlightened, a small smile on his face, "one of her maids rescued it and a few other books before the evacuation and Asgard's subsequent destruction. She felt it would benefit in my possession and offered it as a celebratory wedding gift."

With this knowledge, Amelia drifted over to the bed and plopped down next to Loki, mindful of the swell of her stomach, and peered over his shoulder. The pages were full of unrecognizable characters and elegantly drawn runes of some sort - presumably his mother's annotations - and Amelia realised that Loki was probably holding one of the few things that held a strong connection with Frigga. It was no wonder he seemed so enamoured with the book.

Amelia trailed her fingers through his hair. "That's so wonderful," she was happy for him - the book would surely inspire good memories of his mother, "I'm glad her maid had the thought to save them." The preservation of knowledge was clearly something Asgardians and humans both thought strongly about, but more so Amelia was thankful for the maid's decision to return them to Loki. Back where they belonged.

"I am unfamiliar with some of the spells in here. It will be fun to learn something new from her." Loki closed the book gently and pressed his forehead against the cover, "But, for now, I think I would like to go for a swim." He sat up suddenly, placing the book on the bedside table before turning to Amelia with a coy little smile.

"A swim? You have a swimming pool here in Asgard?" There was a drop of sarcasm in her tone.

"Yes, we do, actually."

Amelia hadn't expected there to be a pool in the palace, she had believed Loki meant he wanted to swim in the nearby lake which wasn't too far from the city. A bolt of excitement rushed through Amelia then, because she hadn't actually _been _swimming with Loki before, and it was always fun to experience something new with the man she loved.

When they arrived at the site of the supposed swimming pool, Amelia took a moment to appreciate the beauty of it. It was an open garden surrounded by tall walls shrouded in growing vines and shrubbery, perfect for a little added privacy, and the pool itself wasn't like the perfectly chlorinated type - it was more natural looking, the dark tiles beneath the water giving it a dark blue hue, and on the surface there were arrays of lily pads blooming little pink flowers. It was more like a pond but without the fish, and looked very much like something out of a fairy tale.

She found that she couldn't help but compare Asgard to a fairy tale quite a lot since she had arrived, but there was clearly something about the aesthetic of the place that filled her with a sense of magical wonder.

Another thought occurred.

"Uh, Loki, I didn't bring a bathing suit or anything."

Loki stared at her for a moment, "...why would you need a suit to bathe in?"

Did Loki really not know what a bathing suit was? How long had he been on Earth now, without ever encountering a bathing suit?

"No, it's- a swimming costume. It's a type of clothing made to be worn in water, you know, to protect the wearer's modesty? Cause we can't go swimming naked, can we?" Amelia laughed, and then snapped her lips shut when she caught Loki's blank expression.

"Can't we?"

It was then she realised that Loki intended for them to go skinny-dipping in the pool, which wasn't exactly gated off. Sure, it had tall walls, but if somebody wanted to walk in, there was nothing stopping them from simply strolling down the right corridors in the palace to bring them through to the garden.

"But- we can't. What if someone… sees us?" Amelia's fingers pinched nervously at the skirt of her dress.

"No one else will come swimming while we are using the pool. It is approaching lunch time, so it is unlikely anybody will come by anyway. Come on." Loki had already begun to slip his clothes off, chucking them onto a nearby bench, showing very little shame with stripping off in the broad daylight where anybody could walk into the area and see him in all his glory.

Amelia eyed his nude form as he strolled down the steps that led down into the pool, sighing as he sunk into the water and floated away on his back, giving Amelia an expectant look. She had to admit, it did sound good to take a dip, especially when she felt a little sweaty from the heat of the Summer sun - which also explained why Loki was so insistent on a swim. If the heat was bothering Amelia, it was definitely bothering Loki.

But… Amelia didn't want any random Asgardians seeing her naked, and for that reason she kept her clothes firmly on.

"Come on." Loki repeated, giving her a come-hither motion with his fingers, "The water is lovely."

"I'll just… dip my legs in. That's all." She only had to take her sandals off, and got to keep her modesty in tact, which was far preferable for her.

"Amelia, we're married. And I've seen your body hundreds of times before. Why are you so shy all of a sudden?" Loki subtly floated closer towards her as she approached the edge of the pool.

"It's not that. I just don't want anybody _else _to see me." Amelia shifted her weight from one foot to the other, peering into the water where Loki stood. She could see his pale body just a few inches below the surface before the water obscured her view - she _wanted _to join him. If only she had a damn bathing suit…

A sudden odd sensation of fabric rolling over her skin followed by a prominent breeze had Amelia's gaze falling to her body - which was precipitously disrobed, leaving her completely exposed to the world. She screeched Loki's name, covering herself when she realised Loki had cast a spell that had simply unclothed her and left her dress lying in a heap on the bench by his own garments.

If anyone were to walk into the open garden now, they would get an eyeful of Amelia's butt, and the fear of that happening had her quickly rushing down the steps into the pool for the only instant cover she could attain.

The water, however, was _quite _cold.

She should've known, of course they wouldn't have pool heaters in Asgard.

Loki was laughing, because apparently her surprised squeal and subsequent huge pout were absolutely hilarious; Amelia had yet to find the funny side as she was too busy hugging herself to warm up while goosebumps sprouted over her skin.

"_Why," _Amelia began, "do you know a spell like _that?"_

"Convenience," Loki answered in a self-satisfied sort of way, "it has come in handy in the past." His words were accompanied by a provocative wink.

Amelia harrumphed, stepping through the cold water to move closer to Loki in a bid to seek out his body warmth - it probably wouldn't take long for her to get used to the temperature of the water, but he owed her a warm hug after the stunt he pulled. She continued to cover her chest, paranoid that anybody could be watching, or that someone might stroll in at any moment.

"You don't have to hide," Loki reminded her, "nobody will see you. Nobody except me." His hands went to her sides and caressed her skin, moving up to take a gentle hold on her upper arms, prompting an uncontrollable shiver from Amelia. "Show me your body," Loki whispered, tugging at her arms with encouraging intent.

Amelia sighed, relenting after only a few seconds had passed, and lowered her arms from her chest. Loki's inquisitive fingers immediately moved to graze against her, cupping her breasts and rolling over her nipples, which had hardened from the cold water. The sensation was pleasurable, as Loki's hands on her body was always a pleasing type of contact - he was forever gentle when stroking, rubbing and fondling her body to gratify her - there was never a moment where he was too rough or too callous, despite his hardened hands. Loki knew just how to touch her.

Her face heated with arousal, and she briefly fantasised about the idea of having sex right there in the pool, before the notion was promptly wiped from her mind. Firstly, it probably wasn't sanitary, and secondly, _she didn't want someone to walk in on her having sex in a swimming pool. _Especially a pool that other people likely used… it certainly wouldn't garner her a lot of respect amongst the Asgardians.

For that reason, she clenched her hands around Loki's wrists to stop him from dipping his hands further down her submerged body, still trembling from the velvety contact. "We can't fuck in the pool, Loki," she practically squeaked, her face flushing further in embarrassment.

Loki exhaled sharply with mirth, "I didn't exactly have that in mind. I just want to touch you." He leaned forward and kissed Amelia's lips softly, and she realised then that Loki's ministrations had had a more sensual intent rather than sexual - just like the many times they had washed together in the shower, and Loki would spend most of the time simply running his hands over her body - but the touch had naturally sent her horny mind spiralling.

"O-oh," Amelia murmured, clearing her throat, "right. Well, in that case, continue."

Loki kissed her again, this time in a far more mesmerising fashion, and drew a moan from her throat as one hand stroked down the curve of her ass, taking the time to grasp a handful of her plump flesh. Her arms snaked around his neck as she sunk into him, and the cold water was no longer bothering her while the heat of the sun hit her exposed skin.

"The way your body reacts to my touch is sublime," Loki murmured against her lips, "and I am a _tremendously _lucky man."

Amelia smiled shyly, peering up at her husband, adoration reflecting in her gaze. He looked positively beguiling in the light of the sun, the water droplets on his skin shining, his soaked hair matted against his forehead, his honeyed words - all of it had an enticing effect on her.

She gasped as he picked her up, putting her legs around his hips, and spun her around playfully. Their bodies were firmly pressed together, the water licking against Amelia's lower back, and Amelia quickly captured Loki's grinning lips, eager to kiss him over and over.

"Excuse me, Prince Loki?" A deep voice fluttered in from the entryway and Amelia practically dived away from her husband, submerging herself in the water and only letting her eyes and nose surface when she was hidden behind Loki's body.

Loki himself was glancing back over his shoulder, his body somewhat rigid at the interruption, and Amelia fought back the urge to grumble '_I told you so'. _

"What?" Loki hissed to the newcomer.

"Pardon the intrusion, my prince, but I have come to pass on an invitation. The King asks that you and Lady Amelia-"

"_Princess _Amelia," Loki corrected steely.

"Th-that you and Princess Amelia join him for the lunchtime banquet." Whoever the man was, he sounded slightly overwrought, and Amelia hoped above all else that he hadn't seen her naked form before she'd had time to shield herself in the water behind her husband.

"Tell the King we will join him in twenty minutes." Loki's voice was dismissive, and Amelia heard the messenger deliver a quick '_yes, my prince'_ before the sound of footsteps suggested he was leaving the area.

When Loki turned back around to face Amelia, she pinned him with a pouty glare, but he seemed unaffected by her grumpiness. His smile was unapologetic, and he seemed totally unconcerned that somebody else had seen her - _or had almost seen her _\- nude and vulnerable.

"So much for _no one will see you." _Amelia groused, once again crossing her arms protectively over her chest in case any other palace servants decided to waltz on is for an eyeful.

Loki's fingers tilted her chin up, "So what if he saw you? What does it matter?"

Amelia was surprised by his inquiry, she had thought the idea of anybody else laying their eyes upon _his _wife would piss him off, but he didn't seem overly bothered, "Doesn't it make _you _angry?"

Loki huffed, a smirk on his face, and leaned down to press a kiss to Amelia's head while cupping her face lovingly, "Anybody who thinks they are worthy of looking upon your body unclothed is delusional, but if they _did _happen to catch a glance, they ought to consider themselves blessed from the sight. They can look, but they can't _touch. _That privilege is reserved for me, and me _alone." _He whispered the words into her ear, hot breath tickling against her neck, and Amelia quivered as his hands once again found her bare skin and staked his claim in the form of shameless gropes and titillating hickeys.

* * *

**Please do leave me a comment! Even if it's just a quick one, I truly appreciate it and it makes me very happy and motivated! The next chapter will contain a little drama so you have that to look forward to probably within the next seven days ;)**

**I'm excited to hear your feedback! And I'm still taking ideas so feel free to shower me in them!**


	3. On The Subject of Elegance

**LOOK ANOTHER CHAPTER OH HO HO!**

**I've been receiving so many wonderful comments so far. It gives me LIFE! Thank you so much everyone! :)**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Three: On The Subject of Elegance

The palace gardens were a beautiful sight, full of colourful summer blooms and sprigs of all sorts, and Amelia was feeling quite relaxed sitting slouched on the bench, shoes kicked off so that she could bury her bare feet into the soft blades of grass. Nature seemed happy in New Asgard, and that in turn made Amelia happy.

Loki was not currently with her, the prince had apologetically declared he had to visit the palace library to do some '_research', _and that Amelia was welcome to do as she pleased until he returned, at which point they would attend the evening dinner together. He had suggested she explore a little, and that he would have a guard or two escort her to ensure she felt secure, but Amelia had protested and declared that there was somebody else she'd rather spend time with. Thus, she was joined by Inga and Signy, the palace's resident healer and seamstress, respectively, and two of Amelia's friends.

It was the first sign that Amelia had begun to feel more at ease in the palace without Loki by her side. She was pleased with the progress she had made in that regard, and she hoped she would only grow more content.

"So, what exactly did the prince have to do that was more important than spending time with his new bride?" Inga inquired from beside her; she was idly flicking through some sort of text, but most of her attention was on Amelia anyway.

Amelia snorted, "Said he had to look into something. I'm sure he had his reasons." Her husband had appeared a little absent-minded before heading off, but Amelia figured she would just ask him about it when he returned - there was no rush, if it was really important, he would let her know.

"Hmm," Signy hummed, "maybe he's planning some sort of lovely surprise for you!" Ever the optimistic one, Signy winked and wiggled a pointed finger matter-of-factly.

"Pft," was Inga's response to that.

Amelia quirked an eyebrow, giving Inga a curious smile, "How have you and Thor been getting along? Been on a date yet?" The urge to tease was substantial, and it was worth it to see the usually composed Inga's cheeks go pink.

"We haven't been on a '_date'!_ We've just… been talking," she averted her gaze back down to her book and cleared her throat, "the King likes to tell stories, and I like to hear stories, so when he has a spare moment, we will meet and he will regale me with some of his battles and triumphs over the years." By the time she had finished speaking, there was a dreamy haze in her eyes.

"Ah, so that's why you've been reading those romance novels," her sister exclaimed perkily, eyeing the book in Inga's grasp, "because you've been fantasising about the King. You never used to be interested in those kinds of fiction." Signy really knew how to embarrass her older sibling.

"Excuse _you, _sister, I think that's quite enough of that!" Inga snapped as she shoved the romance novel within the pockets of her pretty blue robes, "I am not some naive young woman, easily mesmerised by the notion of dalliance, especially with the likes of a King, so you can stop right there." She harrumphed, crossing her arms as she acted as though her face wasn't flushed from Signy's playful winding up.

Amelia caught another wink from Signy, and let out a chuckle. Inga was clearly smitten and in denial; Amelia wondered who would give in and proclaim their attraction first between Inga and Thor - it had been obvious from the get go and only became plainer the more Amelia watched them interact.

Before Amelia could steer the subject away from romance and ask the two girls what else they had been up to as of late, there was an interruption from one of the palace guards who approached with purpose.

"Princess Amelia, one of the King's confidante's wishes to speak with you in the advisory room beside the throne room," he spoke, motioning a hand back the way he had come, "if you'll follow me, I can take you there."

Amelia blinked rapidly, confused at the summoning, she sent a glance to the sisters beside her, who looked just as clueless as her, and frowned. She rose from her seat, toeing her shoes back on a little clumsily and asked, "Um, do you know why one of the advisors wants to speak with me?"

"My apologies, princess, I have only been sent to retrieve you. I know nothing more."

"Oh… okay." Amelia figured if one of the King's advisors needed to speak with her, it was probably something important that had been orchestrated by Thor - he was probably just too busy to talk to her himself. "See you later." She waved at Signy and Inga before following after the guard.

When she arrived at the advisory room, she was greeted with finely decorated space that resembled a sort of meeting room, a large table in the centre with a large rug that stretched the length below it, and a few smaller tables and armchairs at the sides. Sat in one of the large table's seats was a middle-aged looking man with ear-length blonde hair, dressed in formal gold and reddish-brown robes, looking quite distinguished and important. Amelia was sure she had seen the man before, probably speaking with Thor at some point, but she had never shared any words with him.

"Um, hello? Did you wanna talk with me or something?" Amelia hesitantly asked, her discomfort jumping when the guard that had escorted her there left the room, leaving her alone with the man she had yet to be introduced to. She began fidgeting with her fingers almost immediately, a tell-tale sign that she didn't want to be there.

The man stood, breathing a sigh of what seemed like displeasure, and looked very close to rolling his eyes as he approached her. He was tall, but not quite as tall as Loki or Thor, though he did have a sort of imposing presence.

"Lady Amelia," he greeted, an unimpressed drawl in his voice, "I am King Thor's deputy advisor, Lord Reinn, and I have called you here so that I may give you a few lessons of… refinement. You will be taught how to act like a royal, so that you can show the level of elegance your position demands."

Amelia was shocked at the deputy advisor's proclamation, as well as just a little bit confused; she hadn't had any prior warning about receiving lessons for such a thing, and she was sure Loki or Thor would have mentioned it to her at some point, especially since she and Loki were still enjoying their honeymoon. Amelia hadn't expected lessons of refinement to be in her schedule at any point during their time in Asgard, but perhaps she had been wrong to assume anything like this wouldn't pop up.

Maybe Thor himself had asked his advisor to teach her a little grace - was he disappointed that she hadn't been acting… _royal _enough?

"Well, don't just stand there gawping," Reinn reprimanded, "we'll begin with your awful posture!"

Amelia curled in on herself slightly, affronted by the man's clear show of rudeness, but she kept a stiff upper lip and then straightened her back - because even Amelia could admit that she _had _been slumping. But, in her defense, her shoes didn't help her much. They were Asgardian-made and she wasn't at all used to the raised heel in the back, plus they were tight around the sides of her feet.

Then there was the fact that she had come to the end of her first trimester - her muscles were easily fatigued and her back often felt stiff. There were just too many things that were thrown into the mix that could be blamed for her deteriorated posture.

"Uh. Okay, can I take off my shoes?" Amelia asked, wiggling her toes within their confines.

"Absolutely _not._ You must acclimate yourself to being on your feet for hours at a time! You won't always be allowed to kick off your shoes or sit in comfort!" The advisor practically shrieked.

_Really?_ Amelia thought irritably. Was there really going to be such occasions where a chance to sit down was unavailable?

"But I'm pregnant," Amelia pointed out, feeling very much like she was being unfairly treated, "I should hope I'll always have the option to sit down if I'm feeling tired."

"Tch. That's the kind of lazy entitlement that palace-workers and common folk will regard with aversion. Contrary to what you might believe, being a part of the royal family doesn't mean everybody will bow at your feet and bring you everything you desire. You do _not_ have royal blood, it is only due to marital ties that you receive the privileges you do."

Amelia pursed her lips and clenched her hands tightly together as she began to fidget out of distress. She didn't want to be here in this man's presence, she wanted to be back with Inga and Signy, or Loki, back with somebody who actually cared about her, unlike this advisor who seemed to have it out for her.

She reached up and scratched her head idly, tousling her hair in the process, and Reinn let out another trying sigh, wagging an accusatory finger in her direction.

"You must stop fidgeting and scratching your head like that! Royals must appear composed and perfect at all times. If you stand around, slouching and mussing up your hair like that, the people will think you to be unhygienic and substandard!" He stepped towards Amelia, to her dismay, and pushed and prodded her into a more alert and put-together posture.

Amelia practically froze up the moment Reinn put his hands on her, nudging her into a stance he was happy with - it made her feel sick and repelled. She didn't want the man _anywhere _near her, but she couldn't so much as open her mouth to protest. The fear that something bad would happen if she were to vocally object was just too obtrusive, and perhaps it was her paranoia after her experience with Eruk and his goons, but she didn't feel safe in that moment.

"Show me how you walk across the room. A _princess _must move with grace - you must give off the idea that you are drifting more so than walking." Reinn ordered with a brief motion of his hand towards the other end of the room.

Amelia stiffly stepped away from Reinn, jumping at the opportunity to put some distance between herself and the older man, but she remained heedful in her slow movements, knowing she was just one mistake away from getting another earful from the clamorous advisor.

"No, _no! _That's all wrong." His vociferous exclamation came as expected, but that didn't mean Amelia wasn't flinching from the volume of it. "You must keep your back _straight! _Do you humans ever _listen?" _He scoffed as if disgusted with Amelia, "And lower your shoulders! You're acting as though you're being hunted like a mouse!"

Amelia might as well have felt like a mouse being hunted, and she outright refused to relax her posture, turning around to give the advisor a watery scowl, lips pulled down in a clear frown.

"No princess should be seen with such an expression," Reinn once again scolded, and Amelia couldn't tell if the man was oblivious to his insensitivity, or if he knew very much that he was upsetting her, and continued to do so at her expense, "you have to appear neutral and in control of your emotions. Agh, enough about that, we have to work on your _voice!"_

Amelia swallowed tightly. "My voice?" She inquired rigidly.

There was no way Thor had authorised these heartless lessons, Amelia was sure of it. Thor never showed any antipathy to Amelia for the way she walked and talked and did anything else she ever did. He didn't _care _about that kind of thing - they were friends, and Thor wouldn't treat his friends this way.

If on the off chance Thor felt Amelia needed to take up a few '_elegance' _lessons, he would most certainly do it in a much more amiable way.

"Yes, your voice. It's simply awful. It's grating for my ears, such a prominent, unpolished _twang. _It honestly makes me want to gag."

Amelia stared at Reinn, fighting the urge to grab something off the long table - _that vase looked mighty heavy _\- and throw it at his face.

"I can't just change my accent," Amelia argued, chewing the inside of her lip as a form of restraint.

"Of course you can," Reinn retorted, "a few voice-coaching lessons and then perhaps the palace-dwellers will be spared the jarring unpleasantries of your speaking voice."

This time, Amelia failed to hold back her tears, and they promptly rolled down her cheeks, betraying just how affected she was by the cruel advisor's tasteless remarks.

"Oh, you can't surely be _crying?" _the advisor snapped, seemingly displeased with the display, "Because of a few criticisms? You will need to learn to take evaluations like this in stride if you ever want to play the part of Asgard's new princess, and the mother of Prince Loki's children. _Princesses _do not cry, especially not because they cannot deal with fair admonishment."

And then, he moved suddenly towards her, still blaring on and mocking her dejection, and Amelia acted on impulse, quickly swiping up what appeared to be a dull butter knife from the table and holding it like a weapon - like Loki had briefly shown her with her dagger shortly after the Eruk fiasco. In fact, she found herself wishing she had taken it with her to Asgard instead of leaving it at home in Avengers tower.

Before Reinn could begin to screech about Amelia brandishing a butter knife at him, the double doors flew open and Loki burst in, his face enraged as he clutched a book under his arm.

"_What is the meaning of this?" _Loki roared, but Amelia couldn't have been more relieved to see him. She dropped the knife and scurried to Loki's side, almost stumbling in her rush to be beside him once again. Loki inspected her face, his eyes wide with anger, but in his rage, he still retained enough tenderness to brush away a few of her tears with his thumb.

"I won't ask again, _Reinn," _Loki seethed as he held Amelia firmly to his side, "what is the meaning of this intervention?"

"Surely you saw her waving a knife at me, my prince!? It is abundantly clear that your _wife _requires a great deal of behavioural management! She will never be befitting of a royal title unless she makes some serious adjustments to her conduct!" Reinn's words had Amelia shutting her eyes tightly and covering her face, her distress more than evident.

"_Enough!" _Loki barked, "I will hear no more of your prejudiced words. Ever since the announcement of mine and Amelia's engagement, you've seemed to go out of your way to find _fault _in her. I assure you that any negative things you have to say against my wife are unfounded!"

Amelia realised then that her presumption was true - Thor had not arranged for this horrible man to give her lessons. He had likely gone behind the King's back to search for a reason to throw a wrench into her marriage with Loki; the revelation sprung more tears from her eyes, but hearing Loki defend her truly warmed her heart.

"You have been blinded, my prince. She is a _human, _her flaws are boundless, and you should not have married her!" Reinn bellowed.

"_Hold your tongue!" _Loki snarled, his voice echoing off the walls of the room, "Before I cut it out!"

A silence fell across the room, one that made the small hairs on the back of Amelia's neck stand on end from the sudden absence of shouting; her hand fell instinctively to her stomach. Amelia did not know at which point unborn babies developed their sense of hearing, but she sure hoped that if they were listening to this racket, they knew that their father was passionately defending their mother's honour.

Loki's next few words were hushed and deadly. "You don't have to like my wife, _Reinn," _he practically spat the advisor's name, "but you will respect her. She outranks you."

There was nothing more satisfying than hearing the cruel son of a bitch being rebuked so icily.

"I will ensure my brother hears about your impertinence." Loki concluded, before beginning to usher Amelia out of the room with a secure hand on the small of her back. Amelia went without a fuss.

Reinn began to object, "This is a mistake! Lady Amelia is-"

"_Princess Amelia." _Loki stonily corrected the man.

With that, Loki guided Amelia out of the room and down the hall. It was amazing how quickly Amelia began to feel better after dealing with the stress of being in that grievous man's presence, and she rubbed the moisture from her cheeks, sniffling as she walked plastered to Loki's side.

"I'm sorry, Amelia," Loki murmured after several minutes, "I shouldn't have left you alone…"

"No, no," Amelia shook her head, "this wasn't your fault." She was quick to point out that the problem lied only with Reinn, because she didn't want to keep expecting things like this to happen every time she was apart from Loki. It was a one time thing, that was what she needed to believe. "I'm fine, anyway," she sniffed, "I'm okay…"

She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Loki or herself, because her heart had jumped out of her chest when Reinn had made that sudden movement towards her, and she definitely had not been okay then.

"I, ah, I think that guy must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Amelia stammered as she tried to draw humour into the moment, in order to distract her from the unsettling feelings she had felt.

"He is a fool. And soon he will no longer be one of Thor's advisors. It is about time the King kicked Reinn's despicable ass out of the court." His last remark sounded an awful lot like the kind of thing Amelia would say, and it made her smile. "Reinn used to be the chief advisor to Odin."

That told Amelia all she needed to know.

"Nowadays, instead of offering any useful input, he sulks in his jealousy and tries to convince Thor that his hostile agenda is the correct way to go. Thor is an oaf, but he's not stupid enough to listen to him."

Amelia nodded her head, "What's he jealous of?"

"When Thor became king, Reinn was demoted from chief advisor to deputy advisor," Loki informed, "I think he's still stewing over that."

"Oh, right," Amelia hummed, "but… who's the chief advisor?"

Loki looked down at her with a quirked eyebrow and a small smile on his face, "I am."

Amelia squeezed Loki's hand proudly and smiled, "I should've known." They carried on towards the feasting hall where Thor was likely to be at this hour, so that Loki could have a very clear and concise chat with him - probably something along the lines of '_your deputy advisor is a dick, fire him' _\- and Amelia's gaze fell to the book that was tucked in Loki's other arm.

"What's that?" Amelia inquired, and Loki's pace slowed a little as he followed her gaze.

Loki let out a slow sigh and cleared his throat, "It's… another of my mother's texts. This is one of her early journals that she wrote… a _long _time ago… shortly after I was brought into the family."

Amelia's eyes widened slightly as she eyed the book. Just like the spell tome that belonged to Frigga, it was frayed at the edges and musty looking, which didn't surprise Amelia given that the book must have been over a thousand years old, if Loki was right about its originating date.

"There are some passages where she talks about me, and the differences that came from raising a frost giant, as opposed to a normal _Asgardian_ baby…"

Loki appeared forlorn all of a sudden, and Amelia frowned, tilting her head and placing a consoling hand on his arm. He looked at her, a very serious expression on his face, and sighed, "Amelia, I need to talk to you… it's about the children."

Amelia swallowed, her nerves spiking up like a wave over her body. "Is something wrong?" She asked in a small voice.

Loki shook his head, "No, it's- it's not like that, it's just…" he peered back over his shoulder, looking both ways down the hallway, "we should talk about it later, in the privacy of our room, after dinner. First, we will talk to Thor about Reinn."

He continued on, urging Amelia to walk close to him again. She kept a worried eye on her husband as they headed to the feasting hall. It was simply unfortunate that Amelia wasn't feeling too hungry anymore, not while her stomach was filled with nervous butterflies.

* * *

**Oooh, what does Loki need to talk to Amelia about? Find out next chapter ;)**

**If you're enjoying this series so far, please drop me a kudos (only takes a click!) and leave me a comment. If you leave feedback, I will 100% fall in love with you.**

**If you have any ideas, throw them at me!**


	4. No Matter The Colour

**Your comments are all lovely, I love you guys so much.**

**This is the last chapter that takes place in Asgard (for now!) and the next one will shuffle back over to the funny side of things ;)**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Four: No Matter The Colour

Reinn was dealt with. Thor took one look at Amelia's slightly puffy eyes and that was it for the deputy advisor - he was promptly relieved from his duties and kicked out of the palace with the warning that if he dared to ever approach Amelia again, his punishment would not be so lenient next time.

Loki couldn't help but notice Amelia seemed to be not-so-ravenous as she ate at the evening meal, unlike the many other meals she had consumed in the past few weeks. It had become the norm for her to go for third helpings, as she was eating for three, after all, but that evening she had barely finished her plate before stating that she was done and did not intend to eat anything more.

It wasn't exactly a mystery to Loki why this was so - Amelia had the tendency to be sparing with her food when she was anxious about something, and there was no doubt in his mind that her anxiety had been caused by what he had told her just after the skirmish with Reinn - the fact that he needed to talk to her about their unborn children, but did not specify why he needed to talk to her.

He knew he shouldn't have mentioned it to her until _after _they had returned to their room that evening, but Amelia was perceptive when it came to identifying conflict in Loki's mind, and she probably would have asked him about it anyway.

After Loki finished up his meal, they headed back to their chambers, and the whole time Amelia kept looking over and peering at the journal still clutched in Loki's hand, most likely trying to piece together what Loki's fears could possibly involve.

"Right, tell me what the problem is," Amelia practically begged the moment Loki shut the door behind them upon entrance to their bedroom, "you said there's nothing wrong, but you wouldn't be acting all jittery unless _something _was wrong, and I need to know right now, so tell me."

Loki sighed and urged Amelia towards the sitting area where two lavish armchairs were placed adjacent to each other, "Sit down, darling."

Amelia crossed her arms, frowning at her husband.

"Sit, and I will tell you," Loki reiterated, planting himself in one of the comfy seats, throwing one leg casually over the other, his mother's journal resting in his lap.

Amelia followed, sitting carefully, her unwavering gaze not drifting away from Loki for even a second - her intense stare was enough to bring a small smile to his face, and her determination to inwardly pick him apart with her mind was admirable, but Loki knew he was far too complex a being for her to ever correctly guess exactly what was swimming through his mind.

"After receiving mother's spell tome, I became curious as to what other books had been salvaged from Asgard before its destruction. The library is filled with texts that were rewritten by those with a particularly faultless memory, but the restricted vault is filled with all original books that were carried in the arms and bags of the evacuees," Loki began, his fingers brushing idly over the leather binding, "and that is where I found this. It's not supposed to leave the restricted vault, but as you know I can be rather sneaky, and I will return it before they realise its missing."

Amelia smiled a little at that and rolled her eyes playfully.

"As I told you, it's my mother's journal. One she wrote very early in my life as she was raising me as an infant - I've never seen this book until now - and it had me thinking about our children," his eyes flickered over Amelia's slightly rounded stomach, "and I thought that there was probably a small chance that… that they could possibly be-" he stopped himself and backtracked, "-I'm not entirely sure what the probability of it is, but there must at least be a likelihood that our children will be…"

He didn't want to say it, for fear that Amelia would be horrified by the potential outcome of her pregnancy.

"Just spit it out, Loki!" Amelia snapped, far too impatient and stubborn for her own good.

"_...Blue." _

Loki pursed his lips, frowning as he carefully inspected Amelia's expression, waiting for the inevitable shock and revulsion that he couldn't help but expect.

"Huh?" Amelia stammered, blinking confusedly.

Loki repeated himself more clearly, "They might be… blue, Amelia."

Amelia stared at him for a moment longer before comprehension passed over her face, and she lowered her eyes to her belly and laid a hand over it, "Oh… I see." Her tone was equivocal, and Loki continued to look on for any sign of nausea or loathing.

"Are you worried that they'll be more difficult to look after?" Amelia looked back up at Loki with a slightly furrowed brow, otherwise clueless to why he was truly in such a nervous state.

"N-no, Amelia… I'm worried you won't want them…" Loki admitted in a surprisingly small voice, subconsciously picking at the book's bound cover.

Amelia's eyes went wide as a gasp left her, which sounded like the breath had been forcibly knocked from her lungs, and a hand went over her chest in shock, "Loki, they're our _children!" _Her breathless exclamation was full of dismay.

Loki said nothing, startled by her outburst.

"Do you really think I would disown our children if they took after you?" Amelia questioned, still sounding just a little bit appalled.

At that point, Loki noticed he had been idly scratching at his mother's old journal and let out a quiet expletive under his breath, placing the book on the small table between them; he didn't meet Amelia's eye, breathing a despondent sigh. Amelia may have thought she could handle the idea of having children who took after their frost giant father, but if the day came and she actually gave birth to a couple of little blue, red-eyed gremlins, then that could be a whole different story altogether.

"Loki," Amelia called, demanding his attention, "answer me. Do you really think that little of me?"

"Have you really thought about what it would be like for our children to look… like _that?" _Loki inquired firmly, "Because you may feel differently in six months time when you have to give birth to them."

"_Loki," _Amelia's tone was almost scolding, offended that he could say such a thing, "I can't believe you'd say that. What parent hates their child because they're different?"

Loki met her eyes then meaningfully, his lips parted, "My parents did." At those words, the anger in Amelia's eyes dissipated into sorrow, "My biological parents left me to die because I was far too small and useless. And my adoptive father despised me for what I truly was." Despite the emotion lacing his words, he remained rather stoic, because he had long since come to terms with the fact that it was something that could never change, not since Odin had passed.

Amelia's face softened completely as she realised Loki's fears weren't baseless. She rose from her chair and padded towards him, placing herself down on his lap and curling up against him. He welcomed her with open arms and held her snugly against himself.

"Loki." Amelia spoke his name gently this time, "It's true that until you mentioned it, I hadn't considered the possibility that our children could be born with blue skin, _but, _I have already vowed that I will love our children with all my heart, no matter how much mischief they make, whether they're magical or ordinary, and no matter the colour of their skin. Nothing will change that, do you understand?"

Her promise very quickly prompted Loki to feel ashamed that he'd ever implied Amelia could resent her own children. _Their_ children. Loki leaned into the warmth of her palm against his cheek, and exhaled a slow breath. Their children were lucky that they would have Amelia as their mother.

"I understand," Loki whispered, "...I'm sorry."

"It's alright. This is why we talk about these things," she ran a comforting hand through Loki's hair and gave him a smile, "instead of making assumptions."

Loki huffed in amusement, "Alright. I get it. No more assumptions." Thanks to all the times he had accused Amelia of making wild and crazy assumptions, he was now paying for it by having every single light supposition pointed out by his wife.

"Good. Now, tell me the things your mother wrote about you. Were you a little high-maintenance rascal of a baby?" Amelia bit her lip to hide a grin.

"You could say that…" Loki rolled his eyes, picking the book up again to flick carefully through the pages, "One of the first things she wrote was that I was _exceedingly _bitey, and breast-feeding was out of the question."

Amelia almost choked on air as she sucked in a breath before letting out a slew of giggles, "Oh _god, _I can imagine… how did they solve that?"

"Well, I presume they fashioned a special feeding implement not unlike the baby bottles you humans use. But that wasn't the only issue. Apparently, I refused to drink breast milk unless it was mixed with a little bit of honey. According to this paragraph," he pointed at the curly, cursive writing that Amelia couldn't make heads or tails of, "they tried many different alternatives before discovering that all they needed to do was add a little sweetness to it. My mother states here that she almost lost her head trying to figure out a solution, and if it had taken them any longer, I may have suffered from dehydration and starvation."

Amelia's giggly disposition very quickly fell into something more grim, "Ohh… you poor thing." Her lips drew into the biggest pout as she wrapped her arms around Loki's neck and cuddled him more securely. "Well, I'm glad your mother figured it out," she murmured against his shoulder, before sitting up a little and lightly tapping Loki's hand which held the book, "we might need this again… it could give us some important advice when it comes to looking after the twins once they're born."

"Indeed," Loki quietly agreed, "because if they're anything like I was, we'll need help." He gave Amelia a smile, but was only half joking.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it lovelies! Remember to drop me a comment and leave me any ideas you may have that you want to see me write! :D**


	5. Best Served Cold

**NEXT CHAPTER YAY! **

**I didn't get as many reviews as usual, I hope you're all still enjoying this series and I'm not doing anything wrong with this one. A million thank-yous to the people who DID review, I love you will all my heart xD **

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter of Amelia dealing with cravings and the lengths Loki has to go to for her ;D**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Five: Best Served Cold

Fifteen weeks into Amelia's pregnancy, the cravings began full force.

Everything had been going fine, it seemed. Amelia and Loki had returned to Manhattan and let their lives continue within the secure walls of Avengers Tower, Loki resumed a semi-regular schedule of working out in the training room and aiding the Avengers with small missions - particularly the ones that never really took more than a couple of hours, as he didn't want to leave Amelia for too long at any point.

He never left her completely alone, he _only_ left her side when he was sure there would be another Avenger present in the Tower, just in case trouble came knocking.

Amelia, on the other hand, had yet to return to work, too frazzled at the thought of being by herself in the flower shop when _anything _had the potential to happen. It would take a while to recover from the trauma, but she endeavoured to take it one step at a time instead of forcing it to happen.

She continued her daily sessions of jogging and other easy exercises, and resumed her weekly self-defense lessons with Natasha's help, making sure not to push any limits - despite only being in her fifteenth week of pregnancy, the visible swell of her stomach definitely restricted her movements.

She didn't yet know how she was going to cope in her final couple of months, because it was going to be far from easy to do much of anything if she became as big as she expected.

Things slowly began to feel a little more ordinary, the fear of alien abduction no longer loomed in Amelia's mind, her separation anxiety began to somewhat dwindle, and then out of nowhere, the desperate desire for particular foods settled in, and if Amelia - _for whatever reason_ \- was unable to obtain the food she wanted, it put her in a _mood._

_Cold _foods. That was what Amelia wanted.

She gobbled down frozen berries like it was nobody's business, popping them in her mouth one after the other at such a rapid pace that Loki had to remind her several times to slow down, lest she were to choke.

Amelia quickly moved from frozen berries to fresh, cold watermelon. The sound of her crunching and slurping up the juices was enough to drive Loki insane, but he did his best to hold in any complaints, because the first time he had brought it up, his wife had not taken happily to being told to quiet down.

Frozen yogurt was next, plus the intermittent glass of chilly orange juice, which she gulped down unwaveringly in front of the Avengers one day and prompted them to all cringe at the sight.

"Doesn't that hurt your teeth?" Steve questioned, lips curled in dismay.

Amelia paused in her guzzling, "Nope."

"Forget teeth, how are you not getting brainfreeze?" Tony asked, staring at Amelia like she was some sort of enigma.

Amelia finished her beverage and offered no more than a shrug, before glancing back at the kitchen, "I need ice."

"But you finished your drink," Tony pointed out, though it fell on deaf ears. Amelia approached the ice dispenser built into the fridge and pressed the button, letting it fill her glass with relatively large cubes of ice.

She picked one up between her fingers, examined it for a moment, and then popped it into her mouth, crunching down on it.

"_How?" _Steve was bewildered, completely perplexed at the display of someone chewing on ice without so much as a wince.

Loki was not at all taken aback like the others appeared to be, as somebody who was immune to the effects of cold temperatures, he too found cold foods to be pleasing for his tongue. The thing that concerned Loki was the sheer volume of these foods that Amelia gobbled down. Where was it all _going? _Amelia wasn't exactly tiny, but Loki was quite sure she had eaten almost equal to twice her bodyweight that day already.

It hadn't even turned noon yet.

"Is this normal?" Loki leaned over and enquired to Banner in a hushed tone.

Banner let out a sudden laugh, "Oh, Loki, welcome to the world of pregnancy cravings."

So, over the next few days, Loki did what he could to ensure Amelia had exactly what she wanted, even if it meant getting up in the middle of the night to retrieve a large glass full of ice cubes for Amelia to chew on loudly for ten minutes before she fell back asleep. Whenever this happened, Loki would simply observe his wife as she devoured the ice as if there was any nutrition in it at all. The only thing it did was keep her hydrated and cool, but she never really woke up in the night for water before, and it had reached the end of August, so the nights had a little more chill to them than the prior weeks. So _why _was her body craving it?

"What exactly do you get out of eating ice?" Loki sleepily questioned at two o'clock in the morning one night after returning with that which Amelia yearned for.

Amelia bit down on the ice cube that had been melting on her tongue and swallowed, "I don't know. It just feels nice," she paused, "maybe it's because of the babies, you know? You love the cold, so they must have inherited it from you."

"I don't love the cold," Loki rolled his eyes, "I'm just immune to it. I prefer warmth."

"Well then, I don't know." She shrugged and placed her empty glass on the nightstand beside her, before letting out a sigh.

"Ready to go back to sleep?"

Amelia nibbled at her lip for a moment as if contemplating something, and then hesitantly murmured, "I don't know…"

"What?" Loki blinked, "You want _more _ice?"

Amelia smiled sheepishly, "Nooooo… not ice… ice _cream."_

Loki's eyebrows rose up, "You want ice cream? In the middle of the night?" His disbelieving enquiry was met with Amelia's semi-grave and semi-pouty expression. She gave a gentle nod of her head, batting her eyelashes.

Her manipulation tactics were put to an end when Loki snorted and delivered the bad news, "Well, I'm afraid you ate the last of the ice cream after lunch. There's no more left."

Amelia's face fell, and it quickly seemed as though a dilemma was raging behind her eyes; as Loki settled back down into bed, he tapped her leg and motioned for her to lay down beside him so they could cuddle, but Amelia stubbornly did not move from her sitting position.

"Let's sleep, love. We'll get you some ice cream in the morning."

Again, Amelia did not move, and her incredibly dramatic, forlorn sigh had Loki pause in anticipation of the inevitable plea that she was about to give.

"Babe…" Amelia only called him '_babe' _when she wanted to butter him up, "Could you get me some ice cream from the store, please?"

"No." Loki shut the idea down very quickly. He wasn't going to get up at 2am and leave the Tower - and the comfort of his nice, warm bed - just to pick up some ice cream. He rolled over and snuggled below the covers, waiting for Amelia to get over her ridiculous desire for ice cream and spoon up behind him. He figured if enough time passed, Amelia would realise that she wasn't going to get her way, and she'd suck it up and go to sleep.

Ten minutes later, Loki heard her begin to shuffle, and he secretly smiled in victory, waiting for the imminent warmth of Amelia nestling against his back.

But it never came.

Instead, he felt the bed dip and rise as Amelia stood up.

"What are you doing?" Loki tiredly grumbled, peering back over his shoulder.

"I'm going to get ice cream."

Loki didn't think Amelia was serious until she started changing out of her pyjamas and into her outdoor clothes, at which point he jumped up and grabbed his wife's wrist, pinning her with a pointed stare, "You are _not."_

"Why?"

"Because it's the early hours of the morning and you need rest," he argued, eyes flicking down to her stomach.

"Hmm," Amelia hummed momentarily, "My body needs ice cream more than it needs rest right now, I can tell ya that." She seemed completely inflexible in her craving for ice cream.

Loki ground his teeth together, drew in a deep exhale and let it out in the form of a resigned sigh, "Can this really not wait until morning?"

Again, Amelia's face formed that profound pout, and she shook her head, looking up at him with innocent doe eyes. Loki peered out the window to gauge the weather - despite being so far up, he could tell the atmosphere was clear, it wasn't raining at least.

Another sigh.

"What flavour?"

And so, Loki begrudgingly relented and left the warm cosiness of their bed to serve his wife's whim while inwardly grousing over the fact that he was a prince - he shouldn't have been getting up in the dark of night to retrieve food. If they were still in Asgard, he could easily have ordered a servant to take on the errand for him, but unfortunately for him, they _weren't _in Asgard now. He was counting the days till they returned.

Although reluctant, he couldn't very well let Amelia venture out around the streets of Manhattan at night, not while she remained plagued by the fears of being abducted by some sort of villain-

_Hold up._

Loki stalled in the middle of the street, standing completely still as he registered the fact that Amelia had played him like a damn piano. She had never intended to step foot outside alone, she was still far too anxious to do such a thing - her little show of getting out of bed and getting changed was just a few further manipulative tactics to get Loki to do her bidding.

He was more impressed than he was irritated, but more embarrassed above anything else. It wasn't easy for one to fool and deceive Loki, but here he stood, out in the cool air, searching for a twenty-four hour store that sold Amelia's preferred flavour - buttered pecan.

There were very few shops open. The first one he found, Loki was incredibly vexed to find they didn't stock it. The second shop seemed promising from the ice cream advertisement plastered over one of the shop windows, but when he stepped inside, he was informed that their freezer had broken and that they weren't selling any frozen products.

It wasn't until he reached the third store, where he was extremely close to tearing his hair out, that he actually managed to find the tub of ice cream he was after.

"_Yes!" _He exclaimed, clasping the tub tightly in his fingers. By the Gods, he might have just killed somebody if he hadn't found it this time around. Glancing over, Loki saw the tired-looking store clerk staring at him from across the aisle.

"You, uh, really like ice cream?" The man questioned from his slumped position at the check-out.

Loki cleared his throat, moving towards him so he could pay for the item and leave, "No. It's for my wife. She's pregnant," he explained concisely, and the clerk snorted.

"Cravings, huh? Well, consider yourself lucky that ice cream is pretty normal - when _my _wife was pregnant, she craved pickles dipped in peanut butter," he spoke conversationally as he scanned the product.

He must have seen the utter disgust on Loki's face, because he perked up and laughed a little, "That was my reaction the first time she asked me to make a store run," he took the money Loki handed him and began fishing out some change, "you gonna be a first time dad?"

While Loki wished the clerk would just hurry up and give him the change so he could go, he politely responded with a hum of affirmation.

"Heh. It might seem like a huge inconvenience, having to go out in the middle of the night just for a tub of ice cream," the clerk spoke, handing over Loki's change, "but you know, you realise it's pretty damn worth all the fuss when you get to hold your child for the first time."

A shot of adrenaline rushed through Loki's body at the thought, a mixture of both electrical nerves and excitement, and he numbly took his change, mumbled a 'thanks', and left the store rather quickly.

As he walked, Loki's eyes kept falling to the cold tub of ice cream as he mulled over the store clerk's words. It was scary and wonderful - in just over five months, he would be awarded the honour of holding his children for the first time, and he had to admit, such an experience would definitely be worth making a thousand trips to the store after midnight.

The next time Amelia craved food at an inconvenient time, he'd try not to complain so much about it.

When he returned to Avengers Tower, he grabbed a spoon from the kitchen and carried the tub of ice cream up to their room. He'd been away for barely an hour, but when he walked through the bedroom door, he found Amelia sprawled across the bed, snoring loudly, having chosen to forego her desperate desire for ice cream in return for a little sleep… like she should have in the first place.

Loki sighed for the thousandth time that night and gazed down at the ice cream, briefly entertaining the thought of trying some of it for himself - after what he'd gone through to get it, he deserved a taste - but then came the image of a very enraged Amelia biting his head off for daring to devour her icy treat.

He walked all the way back to the kitchen and deposited it in the freezer instead, ready for Amelia to snack upon in the morning, and then finally returned to where he wanted to be - spooning up against his wife's back with a gentle hand rubbing over her stomach in circles.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave me a review if possible - it really helps me out! Even if it's a short one, it's still super duper appreciated!**

**Fun fact: When my mother was pregnant with me, she had a craving for chewing on ice too! Maybe I'm secretly a frost giant.**

**In a few chapters time I have an explicit chapter planned ;D Hope you're all excited for that~ Mwahaha!**


	6. The Name Game

**YOU GUYS! You all absolutely showered me with so many wonderful and amazing comments last chapter and I practically squealed in happiness when I saw them all. I can't thank you enough, you make writing this fic so much easier.**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter! **

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Six: The Name Game

Baby names.

It was about time Loki and Amelia were supposed to start thinking of what to call their upcoming children. After all, in a few short weeks, Amelia would be approaching the halfway point in her pregnancy, which left Loki more than a little alarmed, to say the least. Time was flowing quickly. The babies would be born before they knew it, and Loki wanted to be prepared.

The books he had purchased to elucidate what to expect throughout the remaining months of Amelia's pregnancy now cluttered most surfaces in their bedroom, as Loki wasn't content in buying just a couple of informative texts on the matter, and at one point he had read the line '_at this point, you should probably start thinking about baby names if you haven't already,' _and promptly spaced out for the next few minutes as he pondered it.

"Amelia," Loki finally spoke when he found his wife in the communal living quarters of the Tower sitting with a few of the other Avengers, "What are we going to name our children?"

The question came with a hint of alarm, as Loki had mulled over it only briefly in his mind and had managed to come up with absolutely nothing, plus, they only had roughly five months left to figure it out. If Loki couldn't come up with anything, then surely Amelia might have a few ideas swimming around in her head.

Amelia had blinked up at him, slightly surprised, and given the others in the room a transient glance, before announcing, "Um… I don't know."

So, the thought of names hadn't crossed her mind either.

"Oh." Loki murmured, somewhat thrown off by Amelia's response - he had hoped she would have something to suggest, "Do you think we should perhaps… figure out some names?"

Amelia smiled, "If you wanna talk baby names, we can," she shuffled in her seat and leaned over, grabbing a notepad and pen off the coffee table, then patted the vacant couch space beside her, "come sit, Loki, this might require some serious thinking." She appeared oddly excited to explore the potential names of their children.

"Ooh, count me in! I'm great at coming up with names," Stark announced, also looking rather giddy all of a sudden.

Loki pinned him with a glare as he found his place beside his wife, "_You _do not get to name our children."

"Pft! I can _suggest _names!" Stark shot back, lifting his mug of coffee to his lips, "Since you're both pretty clueless on what names to pick, you need all the help you can get. I've heard naming your children can be _quite _a difficult process."

"He's right," Barton pointed out from across the room, halfway through devouring a sandwich, "I have three, and it is _damn _hard to agree on what to name them. You'll probably hate each other by the end of this."

Amelia licked her lips, ignoring Barton's jest, drawing a vertical line down the page and labelling each column with _boy _and _girl _respectively, "Oh, I'm sure we can come up with something! We don't know the genders of the babies yet so we'll have to come up with two girl names and two boy names to cover all bases."

"Alright…" Loki murmured, looking down at the bare page of the notebook and squinting to try and focus. Nothing came immediately to mind. "What… what kind of names should we try to think of?"

Amelia looked up at him in surprise, "Well, any name that you like, I guess!" She laughed, shrugging her shoulders, "If we both agree on it, I'll write it down, and at the end we can choose our favourites, how does that sound?"

Loki looked at her blankly and shrugged his shoulders in agreement. He sighed and hummed and tapped his fingers against his legs as he strove to think of something - _one name at least _\- for Amelia to judge worthy or not, but something kept him from suggesting a single name.

He didn't really know many Midgardian names, and less so the meanings of all the many names on Earth. He didn't want to suggest something only for Amelia to laugh and dismiss it, doubled with the fact that the only names he could think of were names of humans he actually knew - and by the Gods, there was no way he was naming his children after any of the Avengers, that was for sure.

"Wow, you guys really are bad at this," Stark observed after Loki and Amelia were silent and pondering for a good five minutes, "Okay, boy names. Robert, Chris, Mark, Jeremy, Tom - any of those sound good?"

Loki frowned, shaking his head, "No, they sound awful."

"Ooh, I actually like the name Chris!" Amelia pointed out, then pouted up at her husband, "You don't like it?"

Loki's mouth fell open and then closed again. He didn't really have anything against the names Stark suggested, he just wanted to drill in the fact that he didn't want anyone else's input in naming his children. The thought just rubbed him the wrong way. They were his and Amelia's kids, it was up to them to pick out the perfect names.

"I just…" Loki exhaled through his nose, "well, what about… _Aaron?"_

Amelia tilted her head as a look of uncertainty flickered over her face, "Uhh… after my brother?" She made a face like she was not on board with the idea, "I don't know. I'm not super into the idea of naming our kids after dead relatives…"

Loki's mouth snapped shut, his cheeks growing ever so slightly pink. He felt silly for suggesting it now.

"I mean, unless you were really wanting to name one of them after your mother?" Amelia backpedaled, a nervous falter in her voice, to which Loki shook his head enthusiastically.

"Ah, no. No, I agree… it would just feel strange." Actually giving it a moment of thought led to the mental image of him chasing after a really rowdy little two year old while yelling '_Frigga! Come back right now! Behave, Frigga!' _and it just _did not _seem like the right way to pay homage to his departed mother.

"Okay," Amelia smiled an awkward smile, "Clint, what do you think? Got any suggestions?"

Barton made a noise of consideration, "What about John?"

"Too common," Amelia rejected it before Loki could decline any suggestion from the man.

"How about Ryan?" Bruce proposed, looking up from his tablet and speaking for the first time since Loki had entered the room.

"_Definitely not." _Amelia practically snapped, and then flushed from the embarrassment of her outburst.

Loki raised a curious eyebrow, "Why?" He was indifferent to the name, but Amelia seemed to have a deep resentment for it.

Amelia cleared her throat, "I dated a Ryan in highschool for two weeks. He was a dick. That name is ruined for me."

The revelation made Loki snort with amusement, but the problem still remained that they so far had zero ideas for what to name their children.

"Why don't we try thinking of girl names instead?" Amelia advised, flipping the pen in her hand, "I like the name Rose." She looked up at Loki for approval, to which Loki's eyebrows raised.

"Rose is an okay name," Loki began, and Amelia excitedly scribbling the name down in her notepad, until he playfully continued, "we can name our children after flowers if you really so desire." Amelia paused before she'd written the final letter and looked up at Loki with a rather adorable glare, lips pulled into a pout.

"Oh, so you don't like the name Rose then?"

"No, I do, I was just-" Before he could admit he was only kidding around, Amelia had already scribbled the name out. "Really, Amelia?" She had clearly overreacted.

"Well if you're not going to take this seriously then we can talk about it later instead!" Amelia grumbled, throwing the notepad down on the coffee table and rising up from the couch to stomp out of the room, not even trying to disguise the fact that she was somewhat angry.

"Where did _that _come from?" Loki questioned aloud once Amelia was out of earshot.

"The pregnancy hormones were probably making her feel moody." Bruce illuminated.

"I told you," Barton pointed out, "this is just the beginning. Discussing baby names is _disastrous."_

Over the next couple of days, Loki found himself coming up with random baby names to try and appease his wife and add to their very tiny list, at least to show he _was _serious about it, and wanted for them to think ahead so that when they day came, their children weren't stuck in a nameless state for very long.

He'd read a few accounts from Midgardian women in some of the books he had found, which outlined how their children had gone for weeks or even months without a name because they just had too much trouble deciding on something. They'd ended up having to refer to their child as 'the baby' until they settled on something to call them. The entire scenario just seemed outrageous. There was no way he would allow either of his children to be nameless for so long.

Loki had taken to searching the internet for name recommendations.

"What about Charles?" The name seemed dignified enough, it was just a matter of whether Amelia liked it or not.

"Why Charles?" Had been her response as she attempted to brush her locks into something presentable - with no luck, it was always a disarray in the mornings.

Loki had no answer for her. He merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Then no." She said, and Loki flopped over on their bed grumpily.

"How about Arya?" He mumbled partway through brushing his teeth some time later.

"I like that name, but _no. _People will judge us for naming our baby after a fictional character."

Loki spat toothpaste into the sink, "Guess that means Daenerys is out of the question too?"

"Loki." There was an edge of warning to Amelia's tone which had him grunting in annoyance. Barton really hadn't been joking with his warning. "If I didn't cave on Arya, I'm definitely not caving on Daenerys."

Loki finished cleaning his teeth and returned to the bedroom, collapsing rather dramatically onto the couch as he watched Amelia pick her outfit for the day. She had started needing to wear pants with a stretchy, not so suffocating waistband, and despite her occasional mumbles about how the trousers were unflattering or ugly, she still managed to look ravishing in them.

He sighed, peering up at the ceiling with a despairing look. Something told him they would not settle on agreeable names for quite a while, but it was something he just wanted to be over with. The name Leif had briefly flitted through his mind, but that name brought only the memories of the horrible mind torture he had endured at Thanos's hands. The name was out of the question.

"You haven't suggested many names," Loki pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I tried to and you made a joke out of it," Amelia rejoined in a voice that was far from enthusiastic.

"Ugh, I was only joking. I think Rose is a nice name."

"A _nice _name? Not a _great _name?"

Loki rolled his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face, "Okay, now you're just nitpicking my choice of words. I like the name. Do you want to add it to the list?"

Amelia peered over at him, straightening out the top she had just put on, and then moved to grab the notepad and pen from the nightstand. She pressed the pen to the paper and then hesitated, her gaze unfocusing as she looked past it, and then sighed, throwing the pad back down with the pen without scribbling anything down.

"No…" She murmured, sitting down on the edge of the bed facing Loki, "It feels weird, doesn't it? Having to put a name to a face you haven't even seen yet?"

Loki sat up and leant forward, lips curling into a smile, "Yes. Exactly that." In just a few words, Amelia summed up everything that was bothering him. It was beyond difficult to produce names out of thin air for his children, whom he had not yet met - names they would have to go by for the rest of their lives - and knowing that Amelia felt the same eased his frustrations just a little bit.

"Well… maybe we should just… wait till the day they're born?" Amelia tentatively put forward, "Maybe once we see their faces, their names will just pop into our heads?"

Perhaps there was no need to rush, there was no need to dwell on the possibility that they would not come up with names before the babies were born. Maybe Amelia was right, and he had nothing to be concerned about - he just needed the names to come naturally, instead of trying to force something to work.

"Alright," Loki agreed, "I don't think fighting over names five months in advance is very productive anyway."

Amelia laughed, "You got that right," she was quiet for a moment as her gaze rolled over Loki like soft silk, "there's something else I wanted to say… I couldn't help but notice you didn't suggest any Asgardian names…"

Loki straightened up, "I just thought perhaps you would want to pick human names?"

Amelia faintly shook her head, "I want you to know that when our children are born and we see their faces for the first time, if an Asgardian name happens to come to your mind, I want to hear it, okay?"

Loki couldn't help but think that Amelia was particularly skilled in knowing exactly what to say in order to bring a smile to his face; with each day, he became more and more thankful that she was a part of his life.

He stood, picking Amelia up despite her squeal and dropping her gently on the centre of the bed, before crawling over and resting his cheek against the swell of her stomach. He caressed her belly with his fingertips, "Only five months left."

"Mmm," Amelia hummed, grinning at her husband's light touches, "are you excited?"

"Yes."

"Are you nervous?"

"Also yes."

Amelia giggled. "So am I," she admitted, "I keep finding myself worrying about little things that I probably shouldn't even be worrying about yet. Like how am I going to change a diaper without gagging? Or what if I'm not good at figuring out what they need when they cry? Or worst of all, what if I drop them? You know how clumsy I can be!" Her eyebrows furrowed as she pondered the horrific possibility, but Loki simply shook his head.

"You're not going to drop them. I'm sure these are all skills we'll pick up as we go," Loki smirked, "It's normal for first-time parents to worry about those kinds of things. I read it in a book. If we make mistakes, we can learn from them. We're not expected to know everything from the very beginning."

Amelia relaxed a little at his reassurance, her hand moving down to stroke his hair.

"Why don't you ask your friend Dawn about it? She has a baby."

"Mmm." Amelia hummed in acknowledgement, before her eyes suddenly went wide and she pushed herself onto her elbows, "Oh god."

Loki blinked, vaguely alarmed, "What?"

"Fuck. I haven't spoken to Dawn yet about… _everything… _the wedding, the pregnancy. Shit… I need to tell her. Shit. How am I gonna tell her?" Amelia's gaze seemed to turn into a thousand-yard stare, "How do I tell her about you without causing her to freak the fuck out?"

* * *

**At this point, I've settled on one of the baby names, but I'm stuck between two names for the other baby ;) I don't wanna give anything away though, I doubt it'll be revealed until the chapter of their birth! Of which I am so excited to write :')**

**As always, I am open to ideas. Please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on this chapter! **

**Next chapter, Amelia will be paying her good friend Dawn another visit ;)**


	7. The Fact of the Matter

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

**I gotta say I absolutely love you all from the bottom of my heart!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Seven: The Fact of the Matter

Amelia peered back at the car she and Loki had been driven in, one of Stark's personal drivers sitting in the driver's seat while Loki remained in the back for the time being. They had agreed that it would be easier for Amelia to explain the situation to Dawn first instead of just bringing Loki to her doorstep, pointing at him and saying 'ta-da!'

Despite the dark-tinted windows, Amelia was sure Loki was staring right at her. She could feel his eyes on her. Ever since returning from her unfortunate intergalactic kidnapping, all her senses had been heightened - Loki surmised it was probably something to do with his magic within her, constantly offering more and more perks.

She flashed a nervous smile towards the car before looking back to the door and finally raising her fist to knock. No more than three beats passed before the door flung open and a very enthusiastic Dawn answered the door with her arms spread wide; before Amelia could even react, the woman had flung her arms around her.

"Amelia!" Dawn's happy squeal was precious, and Amelia began to laugh, awkwardly sidling her hips back to put a little space between her best friend and her small but pronounced baby bump that was currently concealed below a loose, pink sweater.

"Dawn!" Amelia exclaimed with a bright grin. It was wonderful to see her friend again, but Amelia lamented that it couldn't just be a regular trip to see her and hang out - last time they'd met in person had been the first in a long while and there had been sorrow looming over Amelia because of it. This time, she was there to reveal some information that would no doubt be shocking to Dawn.

Dawn most definitely knew Loki from the seven or so years prior in which he had, under the influence of Thanos's power, caused quite a bit of destruction to Manhattan. But Dawn knew nothing of Thanos, and Amelia feared her friend would be full of snap judgements and unwilling to hear out the whole story.

She was rushed into the house and placed in the living room while Dawn skipped through to the kitchen to fetch some refreshments for them both so they could sit and chat more comfortably.

"You want tea?"

"Mmm, got anything cold? Orange juice?" Amelia's desire for all things cold still had yet to die down.

"Yeah, sure," Dawn snorted.

"Where's Rob and the baby?" Amelia curiously inquired.

"Upstairs," Dawn replied as she brought the cups in and handed one to Amelia before making herself cosy on the couch, "Noah needed changing. They'll be down in a sec."

They spoke about Noah, and Amelia learned that he was thirteen months old; she was excited to see how he had grown since the first time they had met when he was only twelve weeks old. The reminder of babies had her pulling her sweater out a bit more to disguise her belly, she didn't want the cat out of the bag before she'd had time to build it up gently, and truly, Amelia was practically vibrating from nerves in her seat at the prospect of telling Dawn everything she was intending to tell her.

The sound of steps descending the stairs drew Amelia's attention and she lit up when Rob entered the room with his wriggly baby boy in his arms.

"Hey!" Rob greeted with his wide grin, before repositioning Noah in his arms and pointing at Amelia, "Look who's here! Look who came to see you bubba! It's Amelia! Can you say _Amelia?"_

Noah stared at Amelia with clear lack of recognition, green eyes wide and blinking every so often, not that she expected him to remember her face, not in the slightest. Amelia smiled at the baby, face welling up with joy at the sight of how cute he was. He'd grown quite a bit, too, and seemed very enthusiastic about flailing his limbs.

His dark brown hair was cute and curly, little ringlets framing his face in the most exceptionally adorable way, and Amelia felt herself go all starry-eyed at the sight despite the fact the child was staring at her like she was there to take him away and eventually gobble him up for dinner.

"He's shy," Dawn giggled, "but I'm sure he'll warm to you."

"Mama." Noah said the word, lifting one arm in his mother's direction, and Amelia just about melted completely, but managed to keep her composure by biting her lip to avoid the adoring whine that threatened to escape.

Rob handed the baby to his wife and made himself comfy in the seat beside her, leaning back and giving Amelia a warm look, "If you _really _wanna get in his good books, all you have to do is bring him a little chocolate candy bar and he'll love you till the day you die."

Amelia laughed, "Duly noted, I will definitely keep that in mind."

As much as Amelia wanted to just sit and talk about happy things that didn't hold so much weight, she knew she couldn't put off her main reason for arranging a visit, not while Loki was waiting patiently in the car just outside - she knew her husband could only play the waiting game for so long.

"Um… there's something I need to talk to you about, Dawn. It's uh… it's a pretty weird thing that I need to tell you but I want you to be in my life and I want to be in your's, so it's… it's unavoidable," Amelia smiled nervously, her heart thumping the more she spoke.

Dawn's face fell at the odd shift in Amelia's tone, "Yeah, you mentioned something about needing to talk when you called. It's not- I hope nothing bad has happened?"

"No, nothing bad. But it could be shocking at first and I'm pretty sure you won't believe me," the smile didn't leave Amelia's face, because despite her worries over Dawn's imminent reaction, she knew she wouldn't be able to find her childhood friend's shocked face anything but hilarious when she eventually laid eyes upon Loki.

"Well," Dawn blinked, "It'd have to be pretty crazy to have that effect cause we're not easily shocked," she bragged with a snort, far from anticipating what Amelia was going to reveal.

"Okay, well first thing's first," Amelia held out her hand, drawing attention to the gold-emerald flower ring on her finger, the engagement - and subsequent wedding ring Loki had gifted her glimmering beautifully in the light.

"Oh! Oh my goodness! You got engaged!?" Dawn gasped.

"Congratulations!" Rob exclaimed with a grin.

"Well, actually I got married, hehe."

Dawn's face pulled into one of vague surprise, "You got married? And _didn't _invite us to the wedding?"

Amelia grit her teeth and forced her continual smile, "Ah, that's the thing I need to talk to you about. It's about who I married."

Dawn fell silent in confusion, eyebrows furrowing as she pinned Amelia with a look, attempting to predict what she was going to say next.

"What I'm about to tell you is gonna come as a shock. I just need to ask that you hear me out before you judge me, or him. And also… it might sound like a prank, but I'm totally telling you the truth-" Amelia was cut off part way through her buildup to the truth.

"Oh god," Dawn suddenly bemoaned, "you didn't marry Rory from high school, did you? I swear he asked you out like fifty times in our final year. I _hated _that guy, couldn't take no for an answer! _Please _tell me you didn't marry him!"

Amelia blinked, mouth hanging open, "No, Dawn. I didn't marry Rory."

"Oh good." She appeared relieved, but expectant for Amelia to continue, as did Rob, so Amelia drew in a breath and let it out slowly before shutting her eyes and letting everything spill out of her mouth at once.

"At the end of 2017, I met a guy… over several months, we spent time together and realised we had a lot in common and, uh, we fell in love with each other," Amelia left out the part where Loki introduced himself under a false identity, plus the inevitable fallout that occurred, "this guy… just so happens to be Loki. The same Loki who is now a part of the Avengers. Also, I live in Avengers Tower. We got married in New Asgard last month, and life is pretty darn good."

After a beat, she opened her eyes to the blank faces of Dawn, Rob and Noah - although Amelia was pretty sure Noah's vacant look was owed more to the fact that he didn't understand what was being said or why his parents looked so dumbfounded - and felt her chest tighten when she tried to breathe normally.

Dawn looked at her husband and then back to Amelia, her mouth wobbling a bit as she faltered on what to say, and then promptly stood up, carrying little Noah towards the padded playpen in the corner of the room. She placed him securely inside with his plush toys and building blocks, to which Noah began crawling around in search for the perfect object to play with, and then returned to her seat, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, palms pressed together and fingers interlocked.

"Amelia," Dawn began, voiced lowered, "are you out of your goddamn mind?"

Amelia gave a heaving sigh, "I did say you wouldn't believe me."

"That's the understatement of the year," Dawn looked upset, "but I'm more bothered with the fact that you'd say such a thing in the first place. It's a pretty sick joke. Loki? The guy who killed your brother? It's not a prank if there's no chance we'd ever fall for it, Amelia."

Amelia's face twisted in dejection, "Dawn, I'm not-"

"You're right though, I am shocked. Shocked that you'd serve us this bullshit." Dawn's terse tone brought back terrible memories of the day she stopped putting up with Amelia's shit after the Chitauri invasion and decided to cut her out of her life, and it sprung tears to Amelia's eyes in an instant.

Rob looked uncomfortable with no idea of what to say, so he cleverly remained silent.

"No, Dawn, wait, please- I'm not- I'm _not _playing a prank, I'm not lying to you, and I have proof, but just- _please _let me explain everything first. The last thing I want is to push you away again," Amelia admitted in a rush and tumble of words, not really knowing if she was even comprehensible.

Blessedly, Dawn sat back in her seat, one leg thrown over the other, her arms crossed, "Alright then. Explain everything." The way she spoke indicated that she did not believe Amelia would be able to back up or explain her claim in any way, but with a touch of appeal that Amelia interpreted as the hope that everything would all make sense if Dawn gave her the opportunity to continue.

Amelia sniffed, blinking her eyes free of tears. She needed to be clear and concise, "I need you to know that I'm not lying to you, Dawn. I wouldn't do that. I've been trying to think of how I would tell you all this the last few days, but I figured there's no way to sugar-coat any of it, and that I should just let the words flow. I love you, Dawn, you are my friend, and I just want you to know the _truth _so that we can actively be in each other's lives."

Dawn's expression softened a bit, but it was still marred with disbelief.

"Firstly, perhaps the most important thing, is that Loki isn't the same person he was seven years ago. He's been through so much pain in his life, and back in 2012, the day of the invasion of New York, Loki was very much under somebody else's influence. A terrible tyrant by the name of Thanos. You don't know who he is, because last year the Avengers put a stop to his barbaric plans, and Loki fought right alongside them. He's a good person, and I understand that it'll take you time to realise this. It took me time as well, and trust me, I have seen the amount of remorse he has shown for causing the death of my brother. This might sound crazy to you, but I have forgiven him." It was a lot to unload, and Amelia gave both Dawn and Rob time to process it all whilst simultaneously praying that they wouldn't just decide to throw her out then and there.

Rob merely looked between the two of them, his expression troubled while Dawn rubbed at the bridge of her nose as if she was getting a headache. It was amazing how quickly the atmosphere had gone from happy to heavily discomfiting.

"You said you had proof," Dawn bluntly pointed out, "go ahead and show me this proof."

It was abundantly obvious that she did not believe her still, and Amelia hadn't expected her to accept it so quickly, so she quickly shoved her hand into her pocket and retrieved her phone - the phone in which she had kept a certain photo from Christmas day of 2017, a selfie of her and Loki sitting on a bench in Central Park.

Amelia pulled up the picture and handed her phone out for Dawn to take, who tentatively picked it up and inspected the small screen closely, her pinched expression slowly stretching out into incredulity.

Dawn passed the phone to her husband, "Rob, is that him?"

Robert examined the picture, his eyes zipping from Amelia, to Dawn, and back to the photo several times before he came to his conclusion, "It's him, but… this could be photoshopped or something-"

"Amelia's shit with computers," Dawn wasted no time in pointing out something she had known since they were children, "There's no way she photoshopped that." Dawn seemed to bristle, but whether or not she was convinced was unclear.

Dawn tossed the phone back to Amelia before pinching the bridge of her nose again, "Amelia, let's say for a moment this is real. _Why… how? _I don't understand…"

Amelia nodded her head gently. She understood Dawn's confusion, it was quite a long and miraculous story for those who had not been on the journey with her and Loki from the moment they met, and she knew if she recounted everything that had happened, they'd be sitting there for days. Loki was still waiting, ever so patiently outside in the car.

"Loki saved my life," Amelia stated simply, "...well, he's saved my life many times. But he saved my life the day we met…" she held her breath, composing herself before dropping a pretty serious tidbit of information that she knew would probably make Dawn feel sick, "I… I was suicidal."

She could pinpoint the moment it sunk in for Dawn because her face grew a little ashen.

"I had left my apartment to visit Aaron's grave one last time, because I planned to kill myself. I was lonely and miserable and I felt like there was nothing left for me," she teared up at the memory, but pushed the woes aside. That wasn't her life anymore, there was no sense in crying over the past when it served no purpose other than to remind her of unhappy memories, "while I was knelt by Aaron's grave, Loki just… came out of nowhere. He walked right into my life. I didn't recognise him at first, admittedly, but I'm glad for that now, because it gave us the time we needed to connect."

She chewed her lip, looking down into her half drunken cup of orange juice, and then gave Dawn a bleary smile, "So yeah… it's the truth. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Loki, and since we met, he's been doing everything to redeem himself. He already has, in my eyes."

Dawn's jaw was hanging open rather dumbly, and Rob looked utterly astonished. He turned to his wife, "Hey, honey… I think she's telling the truth," he quietly professed.

The now discomposed Dawn blinked back tears, "Amelia, this… this all sounds insane, you know that right?"

Amelia nodded her head with a pout.

"But… I think it'd be more insane to assume you would fabricate such a story and go to the lengths of photoshopping - or paying someone else to photoshop that picture - if it wasn't actually true," Dawn finished.

Amelia's eyes widened, "So… you believe me?"

Dawn sighed, "I… I think so…?"

Amelia swallowed, "G-good! So, um, do you wanna meet him?"

"Huh?"

"He's waiting outside in the car," Amelia pointed out the front window, blinking innocently.

"He _what?"_

Amelia smiled nervously, "Well obviously I brought him to meet you! He's my husband, remember? I told you we got married, I wasn't making it up."

"I feel light-headed," Dawn announced.

"I want to meet him!" Rob suddenly exclaimed, sounding more than a little excited at the prospect. Dawn made a noise of bewilderment, eyeing her husband up with an incredulous stare, to which Rob pointed out, "Honey, he's an _Avenger. _If he's actually out there, do you realise how jealous the guys at the office would be? To learn that I met an _Avenger?"_

Dawn face-palmed, "Oh here we go," she grumbled, her gaze flicking back to Amelia, "He's an _avid _fan of the Avengers. To the point of obsession. He's got most of the action figures and he's Captain America's biggest fanboy."

"If I meet Loki, that's one step closer to meeting _the _Steve Rogers!" Rob argued his case, and then looked back to Amelia with a sheepish smile, "You have me excited. If this turns out to be a massive prank, I might actually cry."

A nervous giggle escaped Amelia's throat, "It's okay, you aren't gonna be crying tonight," she stood up, gnawing at her bottom lip, "just… don't freak out when you see him, okay?" Amelia knew what her friend was like, "Just remember he's a good guy. I love him and he loves me, don't insult him or anything."

"Insult _Loki?" _Dawn snapped, "I don't have a damn death wish!"

"He wouldn't kill you for insulting him, I just don't want you to hurt his feelings," Amelia clarified before heading towards the door.

"Wha-" Dawn cut herself off, once again in a state of perplexity as she processed Amelia's words.

Amelia opened the front door and waved towards the car - the sign that was agreed upon, revealing she was ready for Loki to join her. He seemed in a rush to escape the confines of the car, probably almost having reached his boiling point in regards to thinning patience.

"About time," Loki remarked as he walked up the drive, and then peered at Amelia's face for a quiet moment, "is everything alright?" His voice was soft, and Amelia gave him a small smile, nodding her head tentatively.

"I'm okay," she affirmed, and took Loki's hand, leading him back into the house to present him to two very dazed grown-ups and one nonchalant baby. She forced a smile as Dawn and Rob stared at her husband, and it slowly registered with them that Amelia had been telling the truth the whole time.

Dawn's mouth fell open, she only held Loki's gaze for a total of five seconds before looking away - which Amelia could understand in an instant, Loki was definitely an intimidating individual to those who didn't know him personally.

Rob, on the other hand, looked as excited as a child on Christmas day; he thrust his hand out in Loki's direction, "Hello! I'm Rob! So cool to meet you man!"

Loki regarded Rob with a taken aback look and shook his hand, "Loki Odinson," he succinctly introduced himself.

Amelia beamed, looking hopefully back to Dawn who seemed less inclined to shake Loki's hand or introduce herself. That was fine. Baby steps.

Speaking of baby steps…

"Dada." Noah's little voice pierced through the thick atmosphere, and all eyes turned to the baby. Dawn took her son's desire for attention as an excuse to take a step back from everybody else and rush to pick up her child, despite the fact that Noah had asked for his dada, not his mama. Obvious diversion.

Dawn was flustered, Amelia knew it, and she probably should have thought her next idea through, but the logic in her mind decided that if Dawn was just going to be continuously discomposed the whole afternoon, she might as well hear _all _the news at once and slowly make her way through it altogether.

"Dawn, you might wanna sit down cause there's something else I gotta tell you," Amelia began, watching as her friend gave her a weary look and slowly returned to sit on the couch, all the while trying not to stare at Loki for too long at a time.

Rob was still enamoured with Loki, staring up at him in awe, and Amelia was sure that once she and Loki left later that day, Dawn would definitely give Rob an earful for being so childishly excited while she was left to deal with her stupor all alone.

"So, here's the thing," Amelia began, smiling back at Loki before telling Dawn, "I'm pregnant! With _twins!" _

It was met with silence and a whole lot of rapid blinking on Dawn's part. Her gaze burned into Amelia's stomach, still hidden beneath the jumper, and Amelia helpfully rolled it up to show the noticeable swell, at which point Dawn's entire brain seemed to just clock out.

"Honey?" Rob inquired hesitantly, taking Noah from her arms as she just sort of stared into thin air, trying to absorb everything that had happened since Amelia arrived.

"I think I… need to lie down…" Dawn mumbled, quickly and disorientedly rearranging herself to be lying across the couch.

"Oh dear," Loki remarked, "I don't think she was ready for that, Amelia."

Amelia frowned, scratching the back of her neck, "You still with us, Dawn?"

"Girl, _WHAT?" _Dawn suddenly shrieked, so loud that it made Amelia jump. At this point, Rob seemed to know to step back from his wife, rocking Noah in his arms to stop him from joining his mother in her outburst.

"You can't be _doing this to me, _Amelia!" Dawn dragged her hands down her face as she stared wide-eyed up at the ceiling, "You can't just show up here and say _oh I married an alien and now I'm having two babies, surprise! _You really can't!"

Amelia gave her friend a very sheepish look, "W-well… how else was I supposed to tell you?" Her words were followed by a nervous chuckle, and Dawn merely groaned in response.

"Hey," Rob suddenly spoke, his eyes on Loki, "Can you get me Captain America's autograph?"

Loki regarded him plainly, "No."

Amelia quickly elbowed Loki's side, flashing him a hard pout, before smiling over at Robert, "We'll see what we can do, Rob."

Rob gave a big shiny smile, "Woohoo! You hear that honey? I might be getting the Captain's autograph!"

Dawn drew in another breath and groaned once more, "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. So you actually really know Iron Man? Thor? All of them?"

"Yup!" Amelia grinned, "Tony actually walked me down the aisle at my wedding. And Thor officiated the marriage. Oh yeah, also I'm a princess now."

Dawn seemed to choke on air, and promptly began to babble much like Noah.

It was probably going to be a while before she could accept everything she had been told, but Amelia knew her friend would come around eventually.

* * *

**If you're all a bit upset that there wasn't as much Loki in this chapter, be aware that there will definitely be a ton of Loki in the next chapter. Because the next chapter is an explicit chapter. WINK WONK, y'all excited for some fun? ;)**

**P.S: We'll come back to Dawn, Rob and Noah at some point later in this story, once the babies are born. Because obviously a playdate will be in order xD At that point, Loki, Dawn and Rob will be a lot more comfortable with each other's presence.**

**This is your weekly reminder to leave me a REVIEW if you're enjoying this series! ;) Reviews equal more motivation for me!**


	8. A Flight of Fantasy

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the slightly longer gap between last chapter and this chapter. There's been a whole lot of anxiety over this coronavirus outbreak and it has made it a little harder to write, but I got there in the end!**

**Hope everyone is staying safe! If anyone is feeling nervous or unhappy, I hope this update can at least provide a little respite.**

**This chapter is EXPLICIT. Sexual content ahead ;)**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Eight: A Flight of Fantasy

The convergence of flashy, green energy hovering between Amelia's palms, now at the size of a tennis ball, was evidence of her progress in harnessing the magic within her. The grin on her face expressed nothing but joy at her headway, and Loki sat opposite her on the bed, his encouraging smile bright and effervescent. It was a pity that Loki didn't smile like this more often, that he only allowed himself to let loose and beam when he was out of sight of the other Avengers.

Amelia seemed to be the only one who was afforded the honour to see him like this.

"That's good, Amelia," Loki praised, "now disperse it. I think you've strengthened your control enough to learn how to open locks, but we won't start that until tomorrow."

Amelia did as Loki had taught her, slowly moving her hands apart to let the energy break out of its spherical form and absorb back into her body. "Why tomorrow? Can't you teach me now?"

Loki snorted, "No. It's late, and you have to gain an intrinsic understanding of how the lock you're trying to pick actually words. So we'll have to find a book on common Midgardian locks, and you'll have to do some reading first."

Amelia groaned. She had no problem with reading, of course, but only when the subject matter was something enthralling. A book on locks sounded like the most boring thing in the world, especially when all she wanted to do was jump straight into the practical side of being a magical lockpicker.

"I didn't become a master sorcerer without doing a little light reading every once in a while," Loki stated, patting the bed beside him.

"I guess…" Amelia sighed longingly, but crawled up the bed to slip under the covers with Loki. They shared a chaste kiss, and Amelia cuddled up to Loki's side, making herself comfortable in his secure embrace.

Whenever the subject of magic came up, Amelia's mind was always inspired to ask a multitude of questions about Loki's past. She liked to learn more about him whenever it was possible, but tonight there was one specific thing her thoughts kept drifting back to, and while she was hesitant to ask about it, the will to _know _was far more powerful.

"Loki? Can I ask you something?"

"Mmm," the answering hum was that of a positive nature, he was clearly feeling far too lazy to respond with actual words, plus he was currently nuzzling against Amelia's neck and had no wish to stop.

"I want to know more about Frost Giants."

Amelia knew it was a sore spot as a topic for conversation, and it was reflected as much when Loki's nuzzling paused and she felt him sigh deeply against her neck, his breath inadvertently tickling her skin, causing her to shiver.

"What do you want to know?"

She was pleasantly surprised that he had chosen to offer her information instead of coming up with an excuse to brush it off.

"Anything. Everything." Amelia's voice was a quiet plea, and she saw Loki roll his eyes subtly in the darkness - he couldn't hide that exasperation from her.

"Alright. Frost Giants are disgusting creatures. They're huge brutes that are dimwitted and savage. They use their sharp teeth to tear their prey apart and eat their meat raw. Completely uncivilised, revolting, ugly freaks of nature. They would eat humans for breakfast, lunch and dinner if given the opportunity. They aren't creatures that hold any kindness in their hearts. No compassion, no caring. They even show little mercy to their children."

Amelia was partly taken aback by how terse he sounded as he listed off every terrible thing about the giants of Jotunheim, but on the other hand it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he wasn't able to list anything good about them. They abandoned him when he was days old.

But Amelia couldn't help but wonder if he was making a few things up or at least exaggerating things to make them appear even worse than they were. She had questions about their race, and Loki himself, but it seemed no matter her interest, he just wanted to paint a horrific picture rather than give unbiased information. Again, not something Amelia could blame him for.

"They're quick to enrage, having no patience for anything or anyone that opposes them. The only thing that unites them as a species is their lust and respect for power. They would eagerly serve a powerful king - it does not matter if that king does things for himself or for his people. If he is powerful, they will respect him. If he is weak, however, he would be chewed up and spat out. Somebody stronger would take his place."

Amelia hummed, showing that she was still interested, despite her silence. So far everything he had told her accurately reflected the idea she had of them in the first place, but there were a few miscellaneous curiosities she held that needed answers.

"How tall are they usually?" She wondered aloud, "Because you're pretty tall, but you said you were small for a Frost Giant."

Loki gave a slightly disgruntled sniffle, "They are more commonly around ten to twelve feet tall, but some grow as tall as twenty feet."

"Twenty feet!?" The thought was alarming to Amelia, "That's, uhm… intimidating."

Loki harrumphed, "Stature is nothing if you don't have the brains to use it to your advantage." He finally retracted his face from Amelia's neck and peered at her with a raised eyebrow, "How tall did you think they were? They're called _giants."_

Amelia looked sheepish, shrugging her shoulders. She hadn't really thought about the name before - she knew they were tall, but she hadn't taken the time to imagine just how tall they could actually be if Loki was considered a 'runt'.

"Do they all have magic?" Amelia continued her line of questioning.

"No. Some have more potential for magic than others."

"Okay. What do they wear?"

"Very little," Loki answered curtly, "unless they're preparing for battle, in which case they will wear leather armour on their chests, made from the skins of beasts native to Jotunheim."

Amelia eyed her husband, "When you say _very little…?"_

Loki's eyes narrowed, "They cover what needs to be covered."

"Hmm."

"_Why_ do you need to know these things?"

"I'm just _curious," _Amelia whined and then paused, "hey, if Frost Giants are all assholes with no compassion, and all they respect is power, what drives them to reproduce?"

Loki leaned up on his elbows, lip curling with distaste, "I don't know, I wasn't raised by them, remember? I know only what I've been told and what I have read in books. Can we _please _get off the topic of Frost Giants reproducing?"

Amelia blushed, averting her gaze sheepishly, and grumbled a quiet affirmation. Loki sighed and returned to his place snuggled at her side, giving his wife's belly a caring rub, "Now go to sleep."

It seemed Loki no longer wanted to entertain Amelia's questions with any informative answers, but she was more than surprised that she'd gotten as much out of him as she had, so she was satisfied for now. Cuddling up against her husband, Amelia basked happily in his warmth and closed her eyes to go to sleep.

Amelia wasn't sure at which point she actually fell asleep, but she awoke some time later to the feeling of a light chill in the room. She whined, murmuring Loki's name in her sleep-addled state, reaching across the sheets in search of her husband, who didn't seem to be where she had last seen him. Amelia blinked her eyes open, bleary eyes searching, but Loki was nowhere to be seen.

"Hmmmghh?" Amelia groused, pulling the sheets more tightly around her to keep the warm in, but when her eyes adjusted to the room around her, she froze.

This wasn't her bed in her room at Avengers Tower.

She was somewhere else. Somewhere in which the bed was strikingly large, the furniture was carved from dark wood, and the walls and flooring seemed to be made from glass - or mirrors. Something shiny and reflective.

For some reason, this did not alarm her as much as it should have.

"Loki?" Amelia called out to the room, but was met with silence.

She rose from the bed, feet sinking into the furry rug below, wrapping herself in the thin bed sheet to cover her flimsy pyjamas, and stepped towards the only visible door. She let out a gasp as she stepped off the rug and onto the shiny floor, discovering it was not glass, but _ice _instead.

It was not shockingly cold, but there was definitely a chill crawling up her legs.

She quickly made for the door and left, following down a hallway that led to another door that was far larger than the previous. She tried for all of four seconds to push the door open but found that it was quite impossible - it was too heavy, and she knew as a pregnant woman that straining herself with heavy objects was _not _good.

Instead, she knocked.

A moment passed, and then she heard footsteps approach, and the door opened up, revealing a large hall, made from ice, that looked almost as elegant as Thor's throne hall in New Asgard.

It wasn't the first thing to catch her eye, however, as she found herself face to shin with a blue giant. Really. She was only as tall as it's shins.

Amelia gulped, craning her head to stare up at it, and began to stammer, "Um… I… I don't know where I am. Do you know where Loki is?" Perhaps it was odd to assume the giant was friendly, but Amelia also did not feel threatened, despite the fact that if it was so inclined, it could crush her below it's foot.

It narrowed it's red eyes and then turned and headed into the hall. Amelia took this as an invitation to follow, and clutched the sheet a little more tightly around herself as she jogged to keep up. As she was led further into the room, she spotted a crowd of giants that varied in size - some towered above others, while some appeared not so massive, but _all_ of them soared above her.

Glancing past them, she saw what was presumably the throne, and upon the throne, she saw-

"Loki?" Amelia's jaw dropped as she laid eyes upon the blue-skinned, black-haired, scantily-dressed man she had married.

Red eyes glanced her way, and Loki's lips curled up in what looked to be a knowing smirk.

"Your pet is awake, your majesty," the giant that had let Amelia into the room spoke, his voice low and booming, tearing through and silencing the crowd gathered before Loki's throne.

Amelia blinked. _Pet?_

"I can see that." Loki responded. He stood gracefully and made his way through the crowd, parting it as he moved with a conceited strut; he smiled wickedly at Amelia before cocking his head and regarding the giant beside them, "The council meeting will be delayed, I have more important matters to attend to."

The giant nodded and walked away. Amelia stared up at Loki with a clueless expression.

"What's going on?" She whispered quietly. A small part of her felt that she probably should be more agitated with everything that was happening, but it just wasn't so.

"What are you doing out of bed, little dove?" Loki spoke, his voice like silk as he tilted her chin up and pressed his thumb against the corner of her lips.

"I… I- did you just call me _little dove?" _In response to her question, Loki merely chuckled, rich and deep and throaty - it made Amelia's spine tingle pleasantly.

And then he slipped a finger into her mouth.

"Suck." Loki ordered, and Amelia felt her face turn hot, knees weakening just a little as she obeyed him without question. Many quizzical thoughts rushed through Amelia's mind, such as _where were they? Why was Loki in his Jotun form? Why was he commanding her to suck on his fingers?_

_Why was she even doing it?_

When Amelia's cheeks were sufficiently flushed, Loki extricated his finger from her mouth and quickly bent to swoop her up into his arms. Amelia yelped, clutching onto him as he moved with strong and purposeful strides back the way she had originally come, back to the bedroom.

"You know better than to wander the palace, Amelia. I told you I would be back this afternoon after seeing to my court," Loki said, it was all nonsense to Amelia, she had never heard him say such things before now, "but of course you cannot wait, can you? Not in your state."

"My state?" Amelia whimpered.

"Your body and mind - full of need and desire," he leaned down, his nose gently bumping her own almost playfully, "I'll give you what you want, little dove, worry not."

"O-oh?" A shiver bolted down her spine, reflecting the truth in Loki's words. The anticipation of what her husband was going to do to her had her practically vibrating, the trembling of her body had nothing to do with the fact that his skin was cool to the touch. She suddenly became very aware of the pleasant tingling between her legs, and pressed them more tightly together.

Was it just her, or did Loki seem a little… taller than usual?

His broad, blue, muscular chest seemed to be beckoning for Amelia's touch, but her arms were still trapped below the sheet she had wrapped herself in. She was practically just a quivering burrito of want, and it seemed that this bigger, chillier, bluer version of her husband was going to devour her whole if she wasn't careful.

Then again… would that really be so bad?

Amelia licked her lips as they entered the bedroom and Loki shut and locked the door with a mere tilt of his head, sparkling green magic sizzling around the lock. _Well, that was surprisingly sexy. _She was placed gently on the bed, letting out a soft exhale when Loki immediately crouched above her; he didn't give her much time to think before latching onto her neck, sucking hickeys into her skin, his wet lips hot against her despite the colder temperatures of the rest of his body.

She moaned and arched as he pulled away the sheet and dipped lower, below the collar of her pyjama top, across her collar bone. The tingle between her legs grew more insistent and demanded some form - _any _form - of friction.

"Please," she whispered, spreading her legs.

Loki's smile was sinful as he cocked up an eyebrow, "Please _what?"_

Amelia stared up at him dazedly, "Uhm… uh…?"

"Please, _my king." _The Jotun corrected her, and Amelia let out a squeak.

"M-my king?"

Loki found nothing but amusement in her squeals, laughing as he moved back off the bed, looming over her at his full height, and hooked his fingers below the rim of his leather and fur kilt-like covering. Amelia leaned on her elbows, watching on in anticipation as he slowly - devastatingly slowly - pushed down the garment.

It fell to the floor in a heap and his cock sprung forth, large and erect, and Amelia had to clamp a hand over her mouth to avoid making any sort of embarrassing exclamations. It was bigger than she had last seen it. Did it… did it grow in size when he took on his Jotun form?

Before she could mull over the curiosities of how it would fit inside her, Loki knelt on the bed and looked at her expectantly. The electrifying red of his eyes causing her to burn all over in the best sort of way; her breaths were coming fast and she spread her legs wide, despite still being clothed.

She was eager, that much was obvious.

"Mm, so impatient little dove," he tilted his head, and Amelia mumbled something about the silly nickname under her breath - though secretly she kinda liked it - but ultimately grabbed fistfuls of her pyjama top, intent on pulling it up over her head. She struggled for a moment from her position, before Loki grabbed ahold of the collar, pulling it away from her skin.

And it just sort of dissolved into thin air. Along with her pyjama pants, leaving her totally nude.

Amelia gasped again, now her body was bared to Loki's intense red gaze, and the look he was giving her promised to sate her fervent desires.

He called _her _the impatient one, yet he couldn't even wait momentarily for her to shed her own clothes. Not that Amelia was overly bothered by this. Now there was nothing blocking what was to come.

"Fuck me," Amelia whispered, her words slightly slurred as if delirious from arousal. She needed it like she needed the air she breathed, she wanted to feel every inch of his cock filling her up, and if she didn't get it soon, she might very well explode.

"How bold of you, pet, to command a king," his words sounded like warm honey, and her body shook with thirst. His cold hand, covered with lightly raised markings, squeezed one of her breasts, pinching the nipple and making her whine, and then trailed down the front of her body, resting upon the bulge of her stomach, "I like you like this. Swollen with our children, my heirs. You have a divine look about you, always so desperate for my touch," his expression turned impish, "I bet you would drop to your knees and suck my cock at any time of day, with little more than a simple spoken order, wouldn't you? You needy little slut."

His mouth was again dragging across her skin, over her breasts and sucking on her nipples till she was practically writhing. Loki had never called her a slut before, he'd never really gone so far with dirty talk at all - but now, after she was twitching with pleasure before he had even touched her where she most wanted it - perhaps she should encourage him to do it more often.

"Please, _please, _I need you," the words rolled out of Amelia's mouth in a haste.

A low chuckle sounded, "I _know _you do. Keep begging, my dear, you are delectable," he eyed her stomach again, licking his lips, "I'll let you in on a secret, little dove. When you give birth, I will breed you once again, and again after that. I'll keep you like this, filling you over and over, nothing more than a willing vessel to continue my powerful lineage, my enthusiastic sex slave-"

"E-excuse _me?" _Amelia's indignation was left useless while the breathlessness in her voice was overpowering, and for some reason, the idea filled her with utter _glee._ "Lokiiiiiii," Amelia whined helplessly. When she tried to touch herself, Loki kept her hands pinned beside her head, denying her what she most desperately _needed._

"That's it, pet," Loki encouraged, his voice muffled as he nipped and sucked little marks onto her chest. His teeth seemed sharper than usual. "Are you ready for me yet? _Tell _me how ready you are."

"I am! I'm ready!" Amelia cried, "Pl-please, I'm ready! Fuck, I'm so wet." She could feel it leaking out of her, desperate for stimulation.

"Yes. You are," Loki laughed, but otherwise did nothing.

Amelia reached her boiling point. She grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling his head closer, and snapped, "Stop _fucking _teasing me!"

A loud, throaty growl escaped him, and he twisted out of her grip, rising to his feet, hands clenched around each of Amelia's thighs. He looked almost scary, red eyes narrowed, nostrils flared, teeth bared, but Amelia was far from afraid.

With his hands tightly clamped on her legs, he dragged her to the very edge of the bed, spread them wide, and pressed the head of his cock against her slick folds.

"Very well, my feisty little dove. I will do as you request, for the heat of your quim is far too enticing to put off any longer."

With that, he slid forward, penetrating her body slowly, throwing his head back as he panted, and Amelia released an involuntary cry. The sensation was new, unusual, and oh so good - the feeling of his cold flesh mixing with her core left her whimpering and gasping for more.

The feeling of friction _finally _bringing boundless pleasure was like breaking through the surface and gulping in air after being underwater for far too long.

His initial slow thrust in was just for show, because he immediately began pounding her hard and fast, setting an unforgiving pace. Amelia's face heated up as she let out practically pornographic moans that she didn't seem able to control. The feeling of him filling her up after such a long, gradual build up left her salivating.

The spread of warmth in her loins increased slowly, and Amelia felt her end approaching embarrassingly fast, but what ended up setting her off and pushing her towards her crescendo was the toothy grin Loki gave her, his red eyes gleaming and showing that he was fully smug that he was bringing her this pleasure.

Just before she came, he leaned down and ran his tongue over her cheek, tasting the sweat on her skin, "This is a dream, Amelia."

"Hu-huwuh?" She grumbled unintelligibly, because she was _right there. _Just a few more moments, and she would tumble over the edge.

"You're dreaming, Amelia."

Amelia blinked her eyes open, a yelp escaping her, she could feel her heart pumping hard in her chest along with the pleasant pulses of her clit as she rode her orgasm, far softer and gentler than she expected it to be.

She was home, in Avengers Tower. It was dark and Loki was staring at her with sleepy eyes. Amelia quickly realised everything that had happened had been a dream - because _of course it was, _it was so obvious now, but it certainly hadn't been obvious while she was getting dicked down by her Jotun-King-husband.

There was drool leaking from the corner of her mouth and she quickly wiped it away with her hand, wondering if Loki had noticed. Oh god. Had he heard her? Heard her moaning like a porn star in her sleep?

"Were you having a nightmare?" Loki questioned, a hint of suspicion in his tone, and Amelia gulped. That answered her question.

"Yeah, uh- a nightmare. Real scary. There were, uh, big purple monsters with giant googly eyes chasing me around. Terrifying." She cleared her throat, pressing the back of her hand against her cheek to find it very hot. This was the most embarrassing thing ever - being caught in the middle of a sex dream.

Loki stared at her for a few moments, eyebrows cocked, before shrugging slightly and lying back down beside her, "Well, it was just a dream…"

"Yeah… just a dream…" She trailed off. Thanks to her fantasies, she had the overwhelming desire to see Loki naked in his Jotun form, but the more she thought about it, the more she probably figured it wouldn't be quite so… comfortable… to have sex with a frost giant, just not practical at all.

Still, that didn't stop her from thinking about it for the rest of the night, even as Loki slept by her side. She remained awake, wondering if there was an innocuous way to pose the question of bringing role-playing or dirty talk into their sex life.

* * *

**I hope everyone enjoyed this. As stated before, I'm not a seasoned smut writer, I only do it very rarely and I hope it comes across alright! It is very difficult to write smut, so if you enjoyed this and would like to see more in future chapters (maybe not so much in dreams next time!) then PLEASE leave me a comment of encouragement, maybe point out what you liked the most just to give me a heads up for when I write smut next time around. I would appreciate it so much!**


	9. Little Bump in the Road

**Oh my God. Quarantine is so damn annoying. How typical is it that Britain has such shit weather all year long, but the moment we're forbidden from leaving our houses, the sun decides to show it's face? Literally a couple months ago it was constant rain and like twelve different awful storms that caused horrible flooding to some parts of the country, and now it's all sunshine and daisies outside but we aren't allowed out except for to go to work or to the shop.**

**Anyway. Despite my ongoing struggle with anxiety and my growing low mood about this whole awful global situation, I managed to smash out another chapter. I hope it's up to standard and that you all enjoy it. Thank you, as always, for your support.**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Nine: Little Bump in the Road

Twenty weeks marked the half-way point of Amelia's pregnancy, and with it came the ultrasound scan that would determine the genders of her's and Loki's children. Bruce called in a sixty-something year old female doctor by the name of Harrison to perform the scan, and Amelia quickly found herself laying upon the infirmary bed wiggling her toes in excitement to see her growing babies.

"What are you hoping they'll be?"

Amelia looked up from where the obstetrician was in the process of spreading gel over her belly, but before she could think about the innocuous question posed by the doctor, Loki - who was sitting on Amelia's other side - spoke up in a very monotonous tone.

"Preferably humanoid."

The doctor shot Loki a puzzled glance and Amelia rolled her eyes, giving her husband a pointed look, "He's just kidding around," she sighed. The thing was, Loki more than likely _wasn't _kidding around at all. Amelia knew he was concerned about whether his children would come out blue, and that he often covered up his nerves with dry humour, but for the sake of the doctor that Bruce had personally called in, Amelia wanted to try and keep things light for the precious moment.

They were about to discover something that would probably shape their future, after all.

"I don't have a preference. Boys or girls, or one of each, I already love them both," Amelia admitted, and to that, the doctor's eyes lit up.

"That's something I love to hear," Doctor Harrison stated, "honestly, you wouldn't believe the amount of times I've performed an ultrasound on an expecting mum that's burst into tears when the child wasn't the gender she was hoping for."

It was Loki's time to roll his eyes, "what is it with you humans and your obsession with gender?"

Harrison gave Loki a weary look, and before Amelia could once again sputter out that Loki was just joking around, the doctor instead retorted, "Gender is an intrinsic part of most human's identities, I'm sure an alien like you wouldn't understand."

Loki immediately went tense.

Amelia's jaw hung open.

Up until that point, Amelia and Loki had both been under the assumption that the specialised doctor that Bruce had called in had _not_ known about Loki's true identity, and that Banner had called her in due to the fact she was clueless about who she was performing the ultrasound on.

Clearly that wasn't the case.

The fact that Doctor Harrison knew Loki was an alien meant that she must have known… most other things about him.

Bruce could've _warned _them that Harrison was one-hundred percent aware, but Amelia supposed it was just another wrong assumption on their part.

Loki peered over at the doctor with a narrow gaze, an expression he typically reserved for those he was choosing to intimidate, but the doctor appeared to simply brush it off.

"If you tell a single soul-"

Harrison swiftly cut him off, "Don't worry, I admire and trust Doctor Banner, and as he asked me not to relay any of this encounter to anybody, you can trust that I will remain silent. In other words, your secret is safe with me," she explained, pinning Loki with a brief sarcastic smile, before turning her attention back to Amelia, her expression turning more genuine and sweet, "now, shall we get started?"

Loki appeared to almost sputter with indignation at being brushed off so assuredly, Amelia fought the urge to laugh and enthusiastically nodded her head. The older doctor pulled the equipment up to the bed and lifted the probe, pressing it to Amelia's stomach; the screen was pinned with intense stares from everybody in the room.

When the image appeared, although grainy and unclear, it was evident that the rounded shapes were the heads of the babies, and that was enough for Amelia to have to blink back tears. Seeing them more clearly than ever made everything about her pregnancy so much more real, reminding her that, _yes, _this was going to happen very soon.

"There they are," Amelia whispered, biting her lip gently, before looking to Loki, searching his expression for a reaction. He remained tense from the interaction with the obstetrician, but his eyes were wide as he gazed as the screen, lips tightly pursed. He was trying to hide his emotions, but Amelia could see that they were like a whirlwind behind his eyes.

"Yes! These two seem pretty lax for the moment, apart from subtle movements - you probably can't feel them yet?" Doctor Harrison asked, and Amelia nodded in affirmation, "It'll start out like flutters, and as the pregnancy progresses, it'll feel far more noticeable," the doctor continued to explain.

Amelia felt her excited smile widen, "I can't wait for that to happen."

"Are they normal?" Loki enquired.

"Normal?" Doctor Harrison raised an eyebrow before turning back to the screen, "Well, their positioning is good, vertical and head down, which lessens the chances of complications during birth. But if you're concerned, I can monitor their breathing and heart rate?"

It hadn't been what Loki meant, but he nodded nonetheless.

"We'll get to that in a moment, but if you're ready to hear, I can tell you what genders they are?"

"Yes!" Amelia squeaked, "Please! Oh, I'm so excited!" She put her hands to her face, flushing with elation.

Doctor Harrison chuckled, pointing to the screen, "This one here, the baby on your left-hand side, is a boy. The baby on your right is a girl."

A wave of delight rushed through Amelia and she squealed, covering her mouth to hide the embarrassment of her very vocal joy. Her cheeks went pink almost immediately and Loki took her hands in his own when she reached out to him.

"We're having a boy and a girl! This is so amazing!" Amelia felt so energised by the news that she was sure she would have difficulty sleeping that night, from the simple reason that she would be thinking about what would soon be. What her children would look like, how they would act, their personalities - it felt so close and yet so far away.

Loki smiled at her glee, nodding his head in agreement, but was otherwise quiet.

His reaction caused Amelia to deflate somewhat - she knew that he wasn't the type to be so flagrant with his emotions, especially not in front of company he was not accustomed to, but Amelia had envisioned him being a little more lively at the news. It opened up so many possibilities for the future, they would have the best of both worlds, as it were.

It wasn't until after they were leaving the infirmary that Loki realised Amelia was upset about something. She had wanted to head straight to the communal lounge to relay the news to everybody about the newly discovered genders of their soon to be born children, but instead she headed straight for the elevator, intent on returning to their room. She was also very quiet, which was rather uncharacteristic of her.

"What's wrong, Amelia?" Loki asked her outright, there was no point in trying to get the reason for her actions out in any sort of subtle way because he'd never get the truth out of her.

Amelia shook her head at first, but after a few moments she crossed her arms and sighed, "Were you happy with the results of the ultrasound?"

Loki tilted his head, "Yes, of course."

"You didn't seem it." Amelia's response was curt and dry, and Loki grabbed her arm and stopped her in the middle of the hallway, pinning her with a purposeful look.

"You really think I'm not happy that our children are healthy?" He suppressed the need to show the irritation in his voice at Amelia's outrageous assumption, to think that he may not have been over the moon to discover that the pregnancy was progressing as it perfectly should be.

"Well you didn't _show _it," Amelia groused, retracting her arm from his grip, "you looked distracted. I'm sorry, were there more _important_ things on your mind?"

Loki pursed his lips, giving Amelia the benefit of the doubt - perhaps her snap of anger was a result of her hormones being all over the place, but her attempt at guilt-tripping still vexed him to no end.

"You were really rude to that doctor, you know," Amelia continued with reproach, "you didn't have to be such an asshole to her."

Loki rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to respond and explain himself, but Amelia didn't give him the chance.

"You were going to threaten her! At the possibility of telling people about us!"

"Yes," Loki affirmed, "because I don't _want _people to know about us!"

Loki knew immediately that Amelia had taken his exclamation the complete wrong way because the anger in her face turned quickly to dejection, and she took a few steps away from him, lip quivering as she did so.

"Are you ashamed of me?" Amelia's quiet query was heartbreaking, she followed it up with miserable babbling, and Loki rushed to clarify his words.

"No, _no, _of course I'm not ashamed of you!" His sharp, incredulous tone caused Amelia to flinch, so he resumed more gently, "I am not ashamed of you. I love you, Amelia. And if I could, I would show you off to the world, but that is not a possibility. It is different in New Asgard, you are safer there, but here... no other Midgardians can know that you are tied to me, because it paints a target on your head."

Amelia blinked back the tears that had welled up and made a barely coherent noise of puzzlement, carefully wiping the moisture away from her eyes.

"The Avengers have many enemies," Loki enlightened, though the fact itself was pretty common knowledge, "there are people out there who will do unspeakable things if it means taking revenge on any of us… and there are a lot of people who still despise me for who I once was. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Amelia?"

The cogs appeared to be turning behind Amelia's eyes, but she remained addled, perhaps only partially understanding the implications behind what he was telling her.

Loki sighed. "Amelia, if your identity as my wife became known to all of Midgard, those select people - bad people - would hunt you down to get back at me. They would not hesitate to hurt our _children _if it meant taking revenge on me. I know this for a fact, because I have _been_ one of those people."

Amelia understood now. Loki saw the change in her face, the way her eyes grew wide, pupils dilating under the stress of the new information, her silence as she digested it.

"Now you know why I cannot simply trust people like Doctor Harrison so blindly. I do not know them, I do not know if they can be trusted. All I want is to protect you, Amelia," his eyes lowered and his features softened, "and our children."

Amelia sank against him, wordlessly asking for the comfort of his embrace - which he gave her - and pressed the side of her head to his chest. "I'm… sorry I got mad," she quietly admitted. "I misunderstood your emotions. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," Loki responded, a small smile playing at his lips, "please understand that I _am _happy and excited about our children."

Amelia nodded against him, content to bask in the soothing presence of his arms.

"I suppose we ought to go and share the news with everybody, then?"

Amelia pulled her head back and smiled warmly, nodding in assent. She gazed at her husband with admiration for a few moments, and then tilted her head as confusion once again washed over her face, "Wait, if you don't trust people you don't know, why are you okay with Dawn and Rob knowing about us?"

Loki looked sheepish, "Well, I… I may have talked to them while you were not present in the room."

"What? What did you tell them?"

"I merely informed them that they were not to reveal anything about us to anybody - it was to stay between them, and that failing to abide that simple rule could result in you falling into harm's way."

Amelia eyed him for a suspiciously long time, "Did you threaten Dawn and Rob?"

"No!" Loki shook his head, "No, I just told them sternly not to tell anybody."

Silence.

"You did threaten them, didn't you?"

Loki swallowed, "Maybe perhaps only a tiny bit. But it was for your protection!"

Amelia ran her hand down over her face out of exasperation, "I can't believe you sometimes."

* * *

**Loki is a big ball of anxious. Just when you think something has settled in his mind, three more anxieties rear their ugly heads. Will Loki EVER be able to relax? How will the other Avengers react upon the news of the babies genders? Find out on the next episode of Dragon Ball Z... wait, that's the wrong fandom.**

**Joking aside, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Your kind words always keep my spirits high, so I hope that if you liked this chapter, you will leave a comment and let me know :) Thank you so much 3**


	10. Home Sweet Home

**It's a rough time right now for everyone in the world. I've been told by a few people that updates to this fic bring them a lot of joy, so I do hope this chapter can give some of you a quick reprieve from the unwanted chaos in the world right now.**

**Remember: stay home, stay safe, save lives.**

**My preferred method of staying sane right now is wrapping myself in a blanket burrito and playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons for hours on end :D**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Ten: Home Sweet Home

"Nat's gonna be happy that we're having at least one girl, Tony too - he thinks girls are cuter than boys, oh and I'm pretty sure Steve will be happy we're having a boy. I did ask Clint and Bruce what they were hoping we would have, and they both said they had no preference. Do you know what your brother was hoping for?"

Loki gave Amelia a strange look as they walked alongside each other on their route towards the communal living quarters; she seemed strung up on how everybody else would feel about the genders of their twins and it did nothing but confuse Loki. What did it matter what the others wanted? The twins were _their _children, not the Avenger's children.

He elected not to answer her question, "Why do humans care so much about knowing the gender of their offspring before they are born?"

Amelia returned an odd gaze, "Well, it's just… normal? People like to know what gender their child is going to be because it helps them prepare better. There are some people who prefer not to know till the day their child is born, though."

"How would one prepare differently?"

"Well, just…" Amelia shrugged her shoulders, "raising girls and raising boys are two pretty different experiences."

"In what way?" Loki persisted, earning himself another peculiar look from his wife.

"I don't know… girls are more nurturing and quiet, sensible… boys can be loud and aggressive." Amelia did not appear to be so confident in her remark.

"I've known some women to be loud and aggressive, and on the contrary, men who are gentle and quiet," Loki pointed out, and Amelia let out a sigh.

"Okay, fine, I'm just repeating what I've been told. Maybe I'm totally wrong, I'm just saying what I know."

"I think our children's personalities, actions and beliefs will depend on how we raise them. Their gender is irrelevant. Perhaps you equate aggression and loudness with boys, and quietness and nurturing with girls because Midgardians _raise_ them to be that way."

Amelia processed his supposition and raised her eyebrows in agreement, her lack of response indicated that she thought Loki was one-hundred percent correct. He smiled almost smugly.

"And for that reason," Loki continued, "we will raise our son as the quiet nurturing one, while our daughter can be loud and aggressive, _just _so we can confuse any Midgardians we meet."

Amelia didn't seem on board with the idea. "I don't think we should-"

"Relax, darling. I was only joking." Amusement was peppered over his face.

They turned into the shared living quarters where everybody - except Thor - was gathered in anticipation to find out the news; Tony perked up when they walked in and dropped his phone to the table, giving them his full attention.

"Well? Out with it. Are we having two little girls like I predicted?"

"Nope!" Amelia exclaimed, putting emphasis on the 'p', and gave Tony a moment to silently sulk before revealing, "but we are having _one _girl! And a boy!"

"Wa-hey!" Tony gave a victorious shout, "That's fantastic! Can't wait to meet 'em, bubbles!"

"We can only hope they'll be well behaved angels instead of little brats," Clint remarked, a sarcastic but humorous smile on his face, "though, given that they've got Loki's blood running through their veins, I wouldn't bet on it."

"Hmm," Loki hummed, his face not betraying his feelings over Clint's blatant jab, "I'll have so much fun teaching them to collect spiders and place them under your pillow."

Natasha's slow clapping interrupted before Clint and Loki could begin a match of wits, and she smiled at Amelia, "So happy to hear the news. I would _love _to teach them how to fight when they're old enough to learn."

Amelia's mouth fell open in surprise, "How to fight? Oh! Well, I'm not sure they would-"

"Good idea Nat!" Steve declared, "Maybe I could assist? Teach them how to lift weights, hit a punching bag, gotta build them muscles up!"

"They might not want to train to fight, maybe they'll be more interested in learning the sciences, in which case," Bruce placed a hand on his chest, "I would _gladly _be their teacher."

Tony spread his arms wide, "Hey, why not both? Brains _and _brawn."

"Maybe they won't wanna fight or become scientists," Amelia pointed out, one finger raised, "maybe they'll wanna become artists, or- or film stars, or maybe poets or songwriters, heck, perhaps they'll be medical doctors or firefighters or police officers- _who knows, _they might even decide they wanna arrange flowers for a living!" Amelia paused and cleared her throat, growing a little sheepish when everyone turned to stare at her, "Sorry. I'm just saying, if they don't want to be fighters or scientists, then that's _okay."_

Loki peered down at his wife, smiling slightly at her outburst. The Avenger's overexcitable interjections had been getting on his nerves too, but Amelia made a fine point. Their children would choose their own paths in life, though naturally Loki hoped they would at least dabble in the art of magic, for it was something he would love to teach his children, as his mother had taught him.

"You're right," Tony nodded, reclining back in his seat, "we'll just have to wait and see."

A commotion drew everybody's attention to the entrance of the room, heavy footsteps sounding fast as someone speedily approached.

"I'm here!" Thor's voice sounded before he appeared around the corner, almost slipping slightly on the floor as he came to a sudden stop, looking as if he had run all the way from Norway. He deflated when he saw that Amelia and Loki were already present, "Ah, I'm late. So very sorry - had to deal with… King stuff, you know-" he waved his hand in a vague gesture through the air, before smiling brilliantly at Amelia.

"Well? How are the babies?" He seemed quite thrilled to find out how the pregnancy had been progressing.

Before Amelia could joyfully respond, another voice permeated the air.

"Wait- Thor!"

The fleeting confusion was brushed aside when Amelia pinpointed who the voice belonged to moments before the Asgardian woman rushed into the room, chasing after Thor. It was Inga, of course, looking bright and beautiful in a pretty Asgardian gown, huffing and puffing from her attempt to keep up.

"Oh! Sorry Inga, I was too excited," Thor smiled abashedly, one hand scratching at the back of his neck while the other was offered out for Inga to take. Inga breathed a sigh and smiled, taking her king's hand delicately, before stepping up to his side.

"I'll forgive you this once," Inga teased, before giving Amelia her attention, "I wanted to come by and check on your progress! Well, it looks like they're definitely growing," she eyed Amelia's stomach, her tone playful.

Amelia blushed, patting her belly, "It's good to see you both, I missed you!" Seeing as Thor spent most of his time in New Asgard, working on the expansion of his kingdom and creating alliances with the neighbouring populace, Amelia only got to see him during his occasional visits and when he made a rest stop after aiding the rest of the Avengers with the infrequent mission that demanded his help.

Loki spoke up. "You'll be pleased to hear that Asgard will soon be the home to a new prince and princess."

Thor's eyes lit up like twinkling lights on a Christmas tree, "_Yes! _Absolutely wonderful! Glorious, I will take great pleasure in relaying this news to all of Asgard." He gathered Amelia up in a warm hug, far more gentle than he would usually go about hugging people, all the while Inga seemed flush with contentment.

"We can hardly wait till they are born! Has a due date been surmised?" Inga inquired.

"February 7th, the doctor believes," Amelia joyfully confirmed, "it seems like it's both so near and so far." It was no doubt one of those things that would come so incredibly fast, but then stretch out the last few weeks to an unbearably long waiting period.

"We will have a feast - a sublime banquet and celebration in the weeks leading up to their birth, and another one soon after, of course! It will require a lot of planning, there will be festivity, food, music, dancing-"

Amelia interrupted Thor's fast-paced, excitable plans, "Um, Thor! I don't think… well, the food for certain, _yes, _but I can't imagine I will be in a, um, partying mood? Around my due date?" She hated to put a damper on his enthusiasm for the honouring of his future niece and nephew, but she had to be realistic as well.

Thor's cheeks grew red and he cleared his throat, "Oh, right. Yes, I didn't think about that. My apologies," he looked desperately thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to cook up another idea that would be more appropriate, but he seemed to be struggling.

"A gift-giving gala, perhaps?" Loki suggested, and Amelia cocked an eyebrow at her husband's usage of alliteration. Before she could ask what exactly was involved with the _gift-giving gala - _which may have sounded self-explanatory, but Amelia knew better than to make assumptions about Asgardian traditions - Thor once again brightened.

"An excellent idea, brother!" Without warning, Thor enclosed Loki in a suffocating hug, catching him off guard. Loki grunted and tensed, trying subtly to break out of the hold while a very indignant expression befell his features, to no avail.

Amelia couldn't help but laugh at Loki's vexed glare. A little part of her knew that Thor was probably trying to rile Loki up on purpose, with playful intent, but it was also rather heartwarming, because there was a genuineness in the hug reserved only for the two siblings. Thor was clearly very happy that he would soon be the uncle to two children, and was proud of his brother, who would soon be a loving, caring father.

This was her family. Everybody in the Avengers tower was _family. _And they were all excited for her.

Amelia remained a happy ball of joy throughout the day, contented by Thor's visit, and continued to feel the flood of joy even after he returned to New Asgard through the Bifrost; she made her way with Loki to their room, chatting animatedly about how she had enjoyed everyone being together and sharing in their elation about the pregnancy.

Upon reaching their room, Amelia paused. "So, what is this gift-giving gala?"

Loki smiled knowingly, holding the door open and letting his wife in first, "It is a far more tame sort of celebration. There is music and a feast, but it is slower-paced and less rowdy, but more importantly, the attendees present gifts to the subject of the event. Which, in this case, would be you and the children," he paused, giving a slight shrug, "and me. But mostly you."

"What? People are gonna be giving me gifts?" Amelia pouted, "I'm so bad at accepting gifts from people I know, much less people I _don't _know…"

"Ugh. You're never happy with _anything," _Loki groused, though there was a playful smile on his face, "you only feel like that because you think you don't deserve gifts. Well, you're wrong. You deserve everything."

It was such a sweet offhand remark that Amelia looked wide-eyed at her husband, her cheeks involuntarily turning pink with the rush of grateful adoration she felt. "Loki…" she murmured quietly, looking shyly to the ground as she toed her shoes off and sat down on the bed.

Loki shed his shoes and jacket and climbed onto the bed, slotting himself behind her so that he could hold her close to his chest, "Think of it this way, after nine months of carrying our growing children in your belly, I'm sure you'll be tired, maybe even exhausted. After _all _that work of delivering our children, don't you think you'll be deserving of them then?"

Amelia leaned back against him, smiling subtly, "Mmm… maybe. I guess so…"

"Good." Loki nuzzled his nose against her hair, "I'm going to shower. Do you want to get ready for bed?"

"Mmmhmm."

Just over ten minutes later, Loki left the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, to find Amelia fiddling with the blankets and pillows upon the bed, rearranging them in ways she never had. She'd grabbed the cushions from the couch and added them to the organised mess of comfort items she had created.

"What are you doing? Nesting? Are you a bird?" Loki inquired, one eyebrow tilted.

Amelia rolled her eyes and snorted, "I just wanted everything to be more… comfortable."

Loki took another look at the bed, where all the blankets and pillows had been positioned in a way that sort of surrounded Amelia and boxed her in, lending all their comfort to her and not so much to him. "I think you forgot about me. Where do I fit into this?"

Amelia scratched her neck sheepishly, "Good question… I'm in a pillow-fort kind of mood."

"Pillow fort?"

"Oh shut up. You've built a pillow fort before."

"No, I don't think I have," Loki remarked, and was met with Amelia's jaw hanging open.

"We need to build a goddamn pillow fort."

Whatever this _pillow fort _was, it would have to wait for another time, because all Loki wanted to do was spoon his wife and rub his hand in circles over her growing belly; the doctor - despite being something of a fool, _and he'd expressed as much to Banner earlier _\- had said that Amelia would very soon start to feel the occasional flutters of their children moving within her, and it was something Loki did not want to miss in the slightest.

"You know," Amelia began later that evening when they were lying beside each other and basking in warmth, "we should probably go shopping for supplies. Things for the babies… clothes, toys, cribs… we need to be prepared. I wonder if there's a spare room on this floor that we can transform into a nursery. Do you think Tony will let us?"

"Are you joking?" Loki mumbled sleepily against her shoulder, "Of course he would. Have you seen the way he acts like an excitable fool whenever you start talking about the children? He'd build them their own palace if you wished for it."

* * *

**Thank you all for your continued support. The last couple times I've posted, I've had comments asking for a little preview about what the next chapter will be about, so I'll let you all know that the next chapter will be about Amelia and Loki shopping for and creating a nursery for their babies! It should be fluffy and funny, and I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Please remember to leave me a comment, it helps me to stay sane in these trying times ;)**

**P.S: We've made it to chapter 10 relatively quickly! I'm kinda proud of myself. Here's to another 10 chapters within the next few months! I couldn't have done it without all the wonderful comments you guys give me!**


	11. Preparation is Key

**You ever get an intense desire to start working on a new fic but you gotta commit and finish the final story of the series you've been working on for two years straight? I hate when that happens. I've gotten awesome ideas for a fic for a totally different fandom but I KNOW I can't start it until I finish this one. Well, at least I'm on the final fic of this series xD I've been making great progress on Hydrangeas, if I do say so myself, and I don't intend to stop or slow down any time soon. I will finish this fic, and it'll be one of my greatest achievements. As somebody who never used to be able to complete fics, I'm so proud of myself for coming this far. Four stories in, and we're on our way to completing Amelia and Loki's story.**

**I will definitely cry when this fic is over lmfao. I'm not sure how many chapters this will have but right now I'm expecting it'll be somewhere around 25-ish.**

**Man, I love all of you.**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter 11: Preparation is Key

"Why do humans colour-code their infants?"

Amelia peered up from the soft pink baby onesie she was pinching between her fingers in a bid to test the texture of the fabric, finding Loki's disapproving expression as he examined the selection - or lack thereof - for newborn infant clothing.

"Why is everything either blue for boys or pink for girls?" His lips pulled back in subtle disgust, "Where's the _green?"_

The first stop of the day was the local mall's infant-care shop, which had a whole bunch of baby clothes, supplies and other necessities; Loki was donning a disguise that consisted of sunglasses and a black cap he'd pulled his hair into, hiding it from those who may have had a sharp eye for superheroes. On top of that, he was wearing clothes that could be considered normal wear, instead of his all-black ensemble suit that made him look like a vampire.

Amelia smiled, a hint of apology in her gaze on behalf of the human race, "Yeah, a lot of people are pretty strict about what colour children wear. It's another dumb gender thing." Across the room, deeper into the shop, Amelia could see what seemed to be a more broad range of clothing options, "We may find something better down there."

They waded further in, eventually coming face to face with a greater assortment of colours down one specific aisle.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me."

Amelia's eyebrows rose up as she looked back at what Loki had homed in on and was now holding at arm's length like it was a bag of trash. Her eyes found the onesie, taking in the familiar colour mix of red and gold, and she smirked.

"_When I grow up, I wanna be Iron Man,"_ she read the words on the front of it aloud, finding much amusement in the way her husband rolled his eyes behind his tinted sunglasses. "I think we should buy that one."

"Don't you dare," Loki pulled it away when Amelia tried to reach for it, and placed it back on the rack before urging her to move on down the aisle with a hand at the small of her back, "we will _not _give Stark the satisfaction of dressing one of our children in _that."_

"Aww, but it would make him so happy!"

"It would inflate his ego, which is already the size of a planet."

"Look who's talkin'."

Loki silently squinted at Amelia through his sunglasses, but the only indication of it that she could see was the furrow of his eyebrows; she gave him a wide, smug grin before returning her attention to the many baby clothes hanging before her.

The sight of them made her feel bubbly - they were so _cute, _and just the thought of imagining her own newborn children dressed in them brought with it a world of joy. They ended up picking out two sets of pastel green, two sets of a soft yellow and two sets of mid-tone purple; it was enough for the moment as Amelia imagined they would probably receive a lot of baby clothes as gifts, and if not - well… she could always come back for that Iron-Man onesie.

They explored around the shop and Amelia picked up items that she knew were necessities while Loki trailed along behind her, inspecting everything with a curious and critical eye.

"What's that?" he asked as Amelia dropped a pack of pacifiers into the basket Loki was carrying.

"Pacifiers," she answered plainly, before remembering Loki wouldn't know that they were, "they're comfort items. Babies suck on them."

"Oh."

Another few minutes of browsing passed and then Loki questioned once again, "What is _this?" _He pointed to the box on the shelf on which a particular contraption was pictured.

Amelia cleared her throat, "That's a breast pump, Loki."

"Breast pump?" Loki spoke as though he knew exactly what those two words meant individually, but when put together, made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Amelia rubbed off the awkwardness that was definitely showing on her face and took a moment to think of a way to explain what the product did without causing her face to turn even pinker than it already was.

"It… It pumps milk out of the breasts so that you can feed the babies when you're unable to nurse them… among other reasons."

Loki blinked, seemingly unphased by the explanation, "Oh. Do we need one?"

Amelia's mouth hung open for a moment, suspended in the middle of a thought, "Um. I don't know. Maybe? It might be… beneficial? I don't know. I've never been pregnant before!"

Loki's face creased into something between amusement and fondness, and he picked up the box, placing it into the basket, shrugging as he did so, "Best to be safe than sorry."

Amelia flushed and smiled, shaking her head free of the minor embarrassment, and nodded her head in agreement, "True."

The next stop after the clothing and product essentials was a shop that sold cribs, and high-quality cribs at that, because Loki wouldn't settle for anything less than perfect for his children. He had already expressed that if he had his wish, they would live permanently in New Asgard, and wouldn't have to worry about purchasing items from sellers they weren't sure they could trust, because Loki could just snap his fingers and have the items built by competent carpenters with the utmost care.

Amelia, however, was not content with living full time in the palace, living life as a princess on a constant basis. While she was grateful for everything the Asgardians had offered, she still saw herself as a regular non-royal person who liked to kick back and act silly every once in a while, which probably wouldn't be so welcomed in the palace.

They'd agreed to move between the two locations every few months after the children were born, because Amelia felt it was important for them to know the ins and outs of both lives - as a prince and princess, and as regular children.

On the way to purchase some cribs, Amelia found herself distracted as they walked past a shop popular for their lingerie and other… adult products. She slowed to a stop, staring into the entrance, her gaze travelling all the way to the back of the shop where she could very clearly see fluffy handcuffs and whips hanging on the wall. She gulped, quickly remembering the dream she had had not that long ago that left her breathless to recall, in which Loki had been rough and dominating.

It left her light-headed in a wonderful way.

"Amelia?"

Amelia's head snapped forward to where Loki was standing in front of her, clutching the bags of supplies they had purchased, his head tilted in confusion, with maybe a little curiosity thrown in there… and a dab of impatience.

"Uh, sorry." Amelia mumbled, "let's go." She wanted to get going before Loki realised what she had been staring at, but it was all too late because Loki quickly followed that line of sight and came face to face with the contents of the shop.

She saw, even with his sunglasses on, that his face twitched with knowing and smug amusement, before he pinned her with a pointed glance. Maybe he hadn't seen what she'd been looking at specifically, but she was sure he had a pretty good idea.

"Shut up." Amelia grumbled before he had time to say anything, and continued walking on to avoid the mortification.

Over the next few days, Stark made preparations to have the unused room opposite Amelia and Loki's bedroom ready for decorating. It was cleaned till spotless and any unused furniture was removed, leaving it completely free to mold into whatever they wanted it to be. Tony offered to have somebody assemble the cribs they had purchased, but Amelia declined the help - to Loki's dismay - and declared that they would be the ones to assemble it, claiming that it would be a fun, parental exercise.

It was not a fun exercise. Loki didn't know how to assemble furniture. The instruction manual was unnecessarily confusing.

"Why can't midgardians just say what they mean?" Loki groused as he scanned over the unclear instructions and debatable diagrams while Amelia lounged on the recliner with her feet up. "There are two possibilities here, either I'm doing this wrong and the instructions are _shit,_ or I'm doing it _right_ and the entire design is _shit."_

Amelia pouted. From the inflections of Loki's voice, she could tell he was getting genuinely worked up and angry; she had hoped they could build the cribs together and that it would be a wonderful thing to do, but she hadn't counted on the instructions for the pieces of furniture being… absolute garbage. She probably should've predicted something like that and just let Tony call some guys in to build the cribs for them.

If her muscles hadn't started getting sore from kneeling on the floor for so long, she probably could've been more help.

"Hey… please don't get angry," Amelia sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position, "maybe if you take a little break and come back to it, it'll be more clear-"

"No, it _won't _be more clear because whoever wrote these instructions is _useless!" _Loki snapped loudly, causing Amelia to flinch, and he threw the paper booklet across the room, causing pages to tear out. Amelia gazed over at him wide-eyed, blinking a couple of times, and then frowned and threw a cushion at his head.

"If you're gonna shout, shout into the cushion."

Loki caught it with ease and squeezed it hard in his grip. He rolled his eyes, "Fine."

With that, he pressed it to his face and screamed multiple, muffled expletives into the fabric; he peppered a few death threats towards the makers of the cribs between various swear words, and by the time he peeled the cushion away, his breathing was slightly laboured.

"Better?" Amelia gently enquired.

"Not really," Loki sighed. He sulkily and pitifully crawled across the floor to pluck up the instruction manual and its missing pages before returning to the regrettable DIY project - which was hardly even a DIY project when all Loki had to do was put it together. Amelia reminded herself to never suggest going shopping at IKEA.

Amelia laid back again, preparing for more irritable snapping from her husband, and rested her hand on her moderately large stomach, rubbing back and forth as she breathed out a sigh, "Your daddy is going to some lengths to make sure you have lovely cribs to sleep in," she cooed down at her belly, unsure whether her unborn babies could actually hear her or not, but wanting to lighten the mood regardless.

Loki made a scoffing noise that was vaguely swathed in sarcasm, but his expression mostly radiated warmth at Amelia's playful remark. He closed his eyes briefly, and then dropped the manual - more gently this time - and slithered across the floor towards Amelia. He sat down by the recliner and leaned over, pressing a kiss to Amelia's stomach, something he would do on occasion that always filled Amelia with glee.

"You hear that?" Loki murmured against her belly, "I'm having to decode those instructions like they're some sort of cipher just so you have a place to sleep. You better be grateful."

Amelia snorted, and then froze. She grabbed Loki suddenly by the shoulder as if reaching for a lifeline, and concern befell his features when he caught the shocked expression on Amelia's face. "What? What is it?" Loki inquired.

"Did you feel that?" Amelia whispered.

"Feel what?"

"I… I think-" She felt the sensation again, a faint but _clear _flitter in her belly, which forced a gasp from her, "I think they're _moving!"_

Loki's mouth fell open in surprise. He moved his hand to Amelia's belly and then pressed his ear to it as an afterthought, waiting - silent and still - to sense any sort of movement.

A beat passed, and then another, and just as Amelia thought the fluttering had ended, she felt it again.

"_There!" _She practically screamed, a smile that couldn't be diminished grew wide on her face, and a slew of overjoyed sounds escaped her mouth, "Do you feel it? Do you!?"

Loki felt it. The ever so gentle quiver, it was barely there but he _felt it._ He quickly found that even after the vexing couple of hours he had had, there was nothing to stop the grin from spreading over his face. He chuckled and then he laughed, rubbing his cheek against his wife's baby bump. "I do," he murmured joyously, "I feel them."

"I think they heard you," Amelia giggled, running her fingers through Loki's hair, "say something else to them!"

"I- I…" Loki nuzzled Amelia's stomach with his nose, "I love you."

Amelia felt the warmth of the moment encompass her, it had been a while since she'd wanted to cry from happiness, but there she was, blinking back the tears in her eyes as she basked in the precious moment.

They stayed there like that for some time, waiting for more movement and growing excited every time they felt even the slightest twitch. It was amazing how their unborn children had managed to completely flip Loki's mood around from aggravation to elation. It was also probably a good thing, because when Loki eventually returned to working on the cribs and Amelia got a good look at the progress he had made so far, she noticed one glaring flaw that potentially was the reason behind Loki's prior perplexity.

"Ah, Loki?"

"Hmm?"

"You've screwed the base edges in upside down. That's why the instructions make no sense. There's nowhere to place the wooden slats."

Amelia bit her lip to hide the nervous smile that threatened to bubble up as Loki slowly looked over what he had done, glancing down to the manual and then back up at the misassembled crib. Instead of snapping in anger, like Amelia had expected, he simply laid down on the floor, face up with his eyes burning into the ceiling.

"Amelia, please fetch the cushion for me." His request was spoken in a shockingly calm tone.

Amelia made a move towards the puffy pillow he had thrown across the room earlier, "Do you need to scream into it again?"

"No," Loki responded bluntly, "I just want you to suffocate me with it."

* * *

**The next chapter will probably be shorter. The next chapter involves strangers touching Amelia's belly without her consent and how that is totally NOT OKAY. ;)**

**I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts on this chapter! Please leave your comments below! I read every single one and I love them!**


	12. Unwanted Contact

**Been feeling under the weather this week but hopefully I'll be feeling good again soon, in the meantime here is a short but sweet chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**I'm gonna post a little less frequently because I'm currently writing for two fics at once like an absolute FOOL but I couldn't help myself!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twelve: Unwanted Contact

Loki was quite disgruntled when Amelia revealed that she wanted to return to work, in fact, he tried to discourage her from it, reminding her that not only was she the princess of Asgard, she was also more than halfway through her pregnancy and shouldn't have been working in the first place. Amelia was not swayed by his attempts to make her reconsider, and she enlightened him to the fact that some pregnant midgardian women worked all the way up to their due dates.

_Ridiculous._

Loki absolutely did not approve, but Amelia was intent on putting herself to work one way or another. She felt she had been stuck to Loki's side for too long since the _Eruk _incident, and that it was time she got over her fears of being apart from him.

That did not mean Loki didn't see her to and from the florist. He was hesitant to leave her for even a moment, but he knew he couldn't exactly stand by her in the shop all day. It would be a little suspect, and the chances of being recognised would be increased. He swallowed any fears and agreed not to surveil her, even if it was difficult to willingly turn back without knowing exactly what situation she was in at any given moment.

Amelia promised to call him the moment she needed him, if that moment arose.

She had been fine for a few days or so, but Loki noticed when he arrived at the florist to meet her after her shift later in the week that she seemed more and more withdrawn, not as chatty as usual, and it was practically a glaring change to what Loki expected.

When she stepped out of the shop upon finishing her last shift before the weekend, she didn't smile when she greeted him, she kept her eyes squarely on the ground as they walked home to the Tower, and she clutched her coat tightly around herself, arms crossed over her chest.

Her posture and walking gait indicated she was tense.

"Are you cold?" Loki asked her.

"No. I'm fine." Her response was cursory, and while she said she was okay, everything else about her seemed to indicate otherwise.

"Are you tired?" Amelia had been walking a lot, and at this stage of her pregnancy it was normal for her to feel worn down. Loki had mentioned using Stark's drivers for travelling, but Amelia was insistent on walking, claiming she needed to exercise and that staying active was important. It was true to an extent, but not when it began to negatively impact her energy levels.

"I'm fine," she repeated more sternly. Loki didn't take her morose tone of voice personally.

Upon entering the Tower foyer, Loki laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her, catching the way she initially flinched before relaxing, and quietly spoke, "I would like to know what has upset you, Amelia." If something had happened, he _needed _to know, because he would do everything in his power to rectify it.

Amelia sniffled, her eyebrows furrowed, "Not down here." It was an admission that something _was _wrong, but that there was a time and place to discuss it; Loki nodded, squeezing her shoulder affectionately, and urged her to continue to the elevator.

It had to be something to do with her work, she was usually fine after she'd been home for a while, but it was clear to Loki that her mood was at its lowest point immediately when she left the florist. Whether it was something somebody had said or done, or whether it was something else, Loki would undoubtedly get to the bottom of it.

Anybody who dared upset his wife would face the consequences. He would make sure of it.

The elevator ride was quiet, but once they stepped out onto the communal floor, the noise of Thor's naturally booming voice was drifting down the hall as he engaged in conversation with one of the other Avengers. It had been almost a month since Thor had come by, too caught up in his kingly duties to pop in for a visit, but it appeared he had indeed found a slow moment amidst the chaos.

Usually Amelia would be overjoyed to know that Thor had arrived, but Loki could tell from her face that she was more in the mood to seclude herself in their room and ride out the distress she was feeling before interacting with anybody else. At the same time, Thor's visits were so infrequent that Amelia clearly didn't want to miss the King of Asgard.

Loki followed Amelia to the lounge area where Thor was currently in the middle of regaling Stark and Banner with some whimsical story about their youth, as he loved to do, and the God of Thunder trailed off mid-sentence when they strode into the room. Immediately, Thor's eyes lit up and he vaulted over the couch and approached with speed.

"Amelia!" He loudly exclaimed as he came to stand before her, and at once he pressed his hands to her ample belly, "They've grown so much since I was last here!"

Loki watched the exchange carefully, noticing the not so subtle way Amelia completely stiffened. The distress on her face multiplied tenfold and he thought for a moment that she may have been in pain, until she released an unforeseen outburst.

"Get _off!" _Amelia cried, pushing Thor away from her with all the strength she could muster; the force behind the push wasn't what had the God stumbling back, however, that was owed more to the shock of Amelia screaming in his face for seemingly no reason.

Loki didn't blame him, he was more than a little startled by Amelia's reaction himself, his mouth hanging open as Amelia proceeded to spin around and press her face against his chest, her hands covering her ears. Loki's arms enveloped her instinctually, cradling her against his body in a safe and secure embrace.

She was crying, he noted, from the muffled but audible sniffles and gasps escaping her, and Loki couldn't help but dread the thought of what had caused her to become so upset that she would snap at Thor.

Thor and the others were staring at him with concerned and dumbfounded looks, awaiting some sort of explanation, but Loki himself was clueless so he simply shook his head and rubbed Amelia's back comfortingly.

"People have been-" Amelia cut herself short with a shuddering breath and Loki waited patiently for her to be able to speak, a dark mist descending in his mind at the prospect of somebody having hurt her. "People… have been _touching _me…"

"What?" Loki practically growled, his arms tightening ever so slightly.

"They've been touching me- my stomach," she clarified, "they- they just come up and put their hands on me without even ask- asking."

Thor's expression melted into shame, he was quick to apologise, "Amelia, I'm am so sorry-"

Amelia shook her head and cut him off, "It's not- it's not you I'm mad at, Thor. I'm sorry. It's stupid, I'm being stupid-"

"No." Loki stepped back so that he could look Amelia in the eye. "It's not stupid. Tell me who has been doing this and I _will _make them pay."

Amelia rubbed her eyes with her forearm, shaking her head with a weary expression, "It's just customers and coworkers… they weren't trying to upset me, but…"

"What they were _trying _to do does not matter. They had no right to touch you without your permission. Tell me their names so I can _deal _with them." He would have loved to have said he would kill them, but he had sworn off killing humans unless they truly, _truly _deserved it. In Loki's eyes, anyone who touched his wife when she did not wish it deserved to be maimed at the very least, but the Avengers would not approve, and nor would Amelia for that matter. In this case, he would settle the score by scaring the wits out of them.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Amelia shook her head, "I quit my job. For good." She sniffled, eyes dropping to the floor, looking very much like she felt sorry for herself.

It was surprising to Loki, and he couldn't have imagined it was an easy decision for Amelia to make, given that she had worked at the florist for some time and that tending to and arranging flowers was something she simply loved to do. She looked rather regretful of her choice, in a way, but Loki knew how strong she was, and as such he knew there must have been some other reason that led to her decision to quit her job as well as what had occurred that week.

As if reading his mind, Amelia murmured, "I heard the manager telling a coworker that the store wasn't making enough money. They're gonna shut it down in a couple months, so I figured I'd just quit now rather than be made redundant."

Loki squeezed Amelia's shoulders, pulling her back in for another hug. "They never showed you the appreciation you deserve," he told her, "we have our garden, and the palace gardens in Asgard. Your skills can be put to better use in places that actually matter." Tending to their helipad garden always boosted Amelia's spirits, and slight upturn in the corners of Amelia's mouth proved that.

Amelia nodded her head, rubbing her eyes one last time before turning to Thor with an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Thor."

"Don't be," the King of Asgard responded with a similar expression, "and it won't happen again, Amelia. I'll ask permission next time."

"Thank you." Amelia was grateful for Thor's understanding. "Let me, um, go get changed, and then we can sit down and chat. I have missed you."

Loki followed Amelia out of the room, waiting till they were out of earshot before speaking, "If any stranger touches you again without first obtaining consent, I will rip off their arm."

Amelia giggled quietly, taking his hand and placing it against her warm belly, "You know, you're the only one who doesn't have to ask."

* * *

**I truly appreciate every single one of you. Thank you for sticking by me as I continue to write this fic. I'm honestly looking forward to writing the chapter in which these babies are born. I think the next few chapters will have some time jumps, and then the birth chapter will be upon us! Loki is simultaneously excited and dreading it! **

**I'm planning for the next chapter to be explicit ;)**


	13. A Million Things To Feel

**OH MY GOD I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS. I wrote 3600+ words of smut in the span of 24 hours.**

**You wanted it, you get it. Here's some of the filthiest stuff I've ever written.**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Thirteen: A Million Things to Feel

The pregnancy hormones were in _full _effect.

Amelia's emotions were unstable and constantly shifting, there was no telling what response a simple action or a few words would garner, and Loki figured he had to walk on eggshells to keep his wife happy in her current state.

There was no rhyme or reason to Amelia's emotional reaction sometimes, in one instance she started crying out of nowhere and when Loki asked her what was wrong, she spoke, barely coherent through her sobs, about how she loved him so much that it made her cry - full on bawling. He had to hold her for half an hour before she calmed down enough, and it seemed the moment she stopped crying, she was totally fine and went about her day as if she hadn't just had a minor breakdown for such an unusual reason.

In another instance, Loki had complimented his wife when she had chosen to wear that loose purple sweater he loved to see her in. The words had been innocuous and meant as a praise, "_You look lovely today, Amelia."_

Amelia had managed to misinterpret it, _somehow._

"What do you mean _today? _Don't I look lovely _every _day?"

Loki had initially thought she was joking around, because _of course_ she looked lovely every day, he thought she was beautiful, and thus had snorted in response.

_Big. Mistake._

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" Amelia snapped, her arms folded over her chest as she glared down at him. Loki shifted from his reclined position on their bed and pushed himself up on his elbows upon hearing the indignation in her voice.

"What?" He mumbled, eyes wide.

"I look lovely today, great, but the rest of the time I'm just ugly, is _that_ it?" Amelia had hissed. She'd proceeded to give him the silent treatment. For two hours.

It wasn't Amelia's fault, Loki reminded himself. Her hormones were fluctuating absurdly, leaving her mind utterly befuddled on what to do with the rush of emotions flooding her system.

In the end, Loki's apology for the mishap had come in the shake of a tub of Amelia's favourite ice cream, and that had kept her happy for the rest of the day.

The hormones had also affected Amelia's libido. Ordinarily, they had sex several times a week, but one day, that suddenly hadn't been enough for her, and they're passionate couplings had become a daily thing. And then, it happened twice a day. Loki couldn't complain - he very much had the stamina for it, but it reached the point where it interrupted his daily training routine and the occasional mission he had to partake in.

On one occasion, upon arriving back at the Tower after a six-hour mission that involved retrieving stolen technology from a suspected terrorist group, Loki had been intent on heading straight for the shower to wash away the sweat, gunpowder and grime that had settled across his body. He had been intercepted on his way there by Amelia, who had latched onto him and stopped him in his tracks.

"I'm glad your back, I missed you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him, seemingly unconcerned by what had to have been a very earthy and unappealing scent rising from him.

"I missed you too, but I need a shower," he stated simply, gently prising her hands off so he could continue on his way to the bathroom.

"I need _you," _Amelia countered, clinging to his arm and making it very awkward for him to move while she was stuck to his side. He knew what she meant by those words, the ambiguity of the statement was wrecked when it was accompanied with the breathy voice, flushed face and lidded eyes that came along with it.

"After I've showered," Loki promised, and pressed on forwards towards the elevator.

"I can't wait," said Amelia, "please." She did her best to get in his way and appeal to his sympathetic side, "I've needed you for _hours, _do you have any idea how hard it was for me to wait _this _long. Please, I need it _now." _

In a moment of boldness, Loki told her, "You have fingers," and received a look from his wife that was so scandalised he wanted to laugh. To even _suggest _that she take care of herself instead of expecting Loki to be at her beck and call whenever her needy desires arose was simply too _preposterous _an idea.

"It's not the saaaaaaaaame," Amelia whined, calling upon the power of her pouty lips and doe eyes to try and convince Loki that it was in his best interest to assist her immediately. She was almost startled when he stopped so promptly after walking with strides full of so much conviction.

"What do you want me to do? Drop my pants and fuck you right here in the hallway?" He inquired with a teasing tone.

Amelia peered down the hallway behind them and then looked up at the cameras in the ceiling, F.R.I.D.A.Y was always watching.

"There's a broom cupboard back there," Amelia suggested hopefully.

Loki ended up compromising by fucking her in the shower, because Amelia's patience was practically nonexistent when she was horny.

Today went slightly differently, though. Loki had already fucked her through two orgasms that morning before jumping into his regular training schedule, hoping that would be enough to suffice until the afternoon came around, but he should have learnt by then not to make any assumptions when it came to just how powerful his wife's sex drive was.

About an hour and a half into his sparring match with Steve Rogers - the next best opponent when his brother was not present - the elevator arrived on their level, and out walked Amelia, fidgeting with the threads at the hem of her jumper. It was clear she was only there for Loki, because Amelia never came down to interrupt anybody else during their training.

"Loki, I need your help with something in the nursery," Amelia called out, a tinge of urgency to her tone.

Rogers stepped back out of courtesy, refusing to throw any punches while Loki was being drawn into conversation outside of the fight session - that was probably where he and Thor differed, because Thor would have taken great amusement in continuing to strike while Loki was distracted, declaring that he shouldn't take his eyes off his opponent, not until a _proper _time-out was called.

"What do you need help with?" Loki questioned, confused as to what needed to be done so vitally in the nursery they were in the process of decorating.

Amelia stammered in her response, which was the first red flag, "It's- I need help with… painting."

"Painting?"

"Yes."

"That can wait till later," Loki told her, turning back to Rogers to resume their training.

"No, it _can't _wait till later. It needs to be done _now!" _Amelia nearly shrieked in return, fists clenched at her hips.

Loki sighed, glaring at Steve when an amused smile arose to his face.

"Looks like you better help your wife out before she bites you head off."

Reluctantly, Loki ended his sparring session and followed his wife out of the training room, into the elevator, and up to their floor, not saying much else until Amelia arrived at their supposed destination… and continued on past it towards their bedroom.

"Amelia?" Loki grumbled questioningly, but a part of him already knew exactly why he'd been lured out of his training and back up to their bedroom.

When Amelia peered over her shoulder, her expression was coy and there was a small smile on her face; Loki crossed his arms, giving his wife a stony look - _this _was what she interrupted his training session for.

"You couldn't have waited another hour?" Loki deadpanned, "How insatiable can you be?"

Amelia responded by stepping towards him, hips swaying as she did so, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She pressed her hands to his chest, smoothing them down over his Asgardian leathers, and rose up on her tip-toes to whisper in his ear, "I need you, my prince."

Loki narrowed his eyes and tilted his head at the use of his title, "What do you need from me?"

Amelia caught his ear between her teeth, nibbling ever so gently.

"I think you know." As she said the words, her hand slipped down to his crotch and squeezed.

Loki let out a low growl, gave a subtle roll of his eyes, and within an instant lifted Amelia into his arms and carried her into their room. He kicked the door closed and dropped her in the centre of her bed, ignoring the string of giggles that left his wife's throat; she immediately pulled her jumper over her head and unhooked her bra, throwing her clothes to the floor, and started shimmying out of her sweatpants.

"How do you want me this time?" Loki's voice was gravelly as he watched his wife shed her clothing and took in the creamy expanse of her skin. He crawled over her, still fully clothed, and lowered his head to lick and nip at her collarbone, making her shudder.

Amelia moaned as she laid back, hands coming to rest above her head, "Mmm, however _you _want. After all, you are the prince, and I am just a lowly slave, completely at your command." Her voice was breathy and suggestive, and Loki pulled back, staring at his wife with a furrowed brow. He examined her face, watching as her expression went from coquettish to sheepish to all-out embarrassed at his lack of reaction to her words.

"I- I mean… well-" Amelia stammered, her cheeks growing red.

"Where brought that on?" Loki asked curiously, referring to her role-playing attempt that had seemingly come out of left field.

"I… I had a dream… a few weeks ago…" Amelia's blush trailed down her neck to her chest, it was really quite adorable.

"Oh? Do tell."

"It- it was…" Amelia had suddenly turned overwhelmingly reticent, something that was highly unusual for her in a sexual situation, "a sex dream… I was your- um, well actually I'm not entirely sure, but, we weren't… equal. I was your… servant, I suppose? And you were- you were…"

Loki let his hand trail down Amelia's side idly as she faltered repeatedly. "I was…?"

"You were… the King of Jotunheim! And you were in your frost giant form, and you fucked me and it was so good! And you were rough and a tiny bit callous, and you called me _little dove,_ and I- I _liked _it!"

Loki sat upright in shock, eyes wide as Amelia quickly covered her face and was blushing harder than ever, his mouth opened and closed several times as his mind failed to form a coherent reply to his wife's admission.

"In… in my Jotun form?" He finally managed, nothing but incredulity making up his tone.

"Y-yes," Amelia squeaked.

There was another long pause, the duration of which Amelia looked like she wanted a hole to open up and devour her from below, and then Loki quirked his head to the side.

"Alright. I'll entertain your fantasy."

Amelia sputtered with disbelief, "R-really? You'll fuck me in your Jotun form?"

"Absolutely not." His unwavering tone caused Amelia to deflate somewhat, "But if you want me to be a cold, rough and callous prince who wishes to use you only for your body while you play the part of my obedient slave… I'm sure I can make that work." His smile grew wicked, and Amelia could sense there were dark promises in the curl of his lips. She gave a whole body shudder, a soft noise of desperate want escaping her.

"I'll take that as a yes." Loki's resounding chuckle sounded positively malicious as he leaned down and darted his tongue out against her earlobe. "If you want me to stop, just say so, and I will." It was the last endearing moment of her husband that Amelia visually and audibly received before it all melted away into something that was undoubtedly sinister.

With his palm pressed down against Amelia's chest, holding her in place, he could feel her heart racing within her ribcage. Goosebumps broke out across her skin, and in her eyes Loki could see nothing but excitement and anticipation.

"You have been _very _bad, haven't you? Hmm? My willing slave…" Loki's voice dropped in pitch, husky as he spoke, his words like a slithering snake. He was the god with the silvertongue - what a perfect opportunity to put it to good use. "You were supposed to wait for me to return, but here I am in my chambers, and you've started without me."

Amelia licked her lips and swallowed tightly.

"You're not allowed to touch yourself, slave. Your body belongs to me, only I have a say in when you are granted the privilege of feeling pleasure," he paused to cup one of her breasts, massaging it lightly in his palm, her skin was always so soft to the touch, "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Amelia's mouth hung open and her lips flapped silently for a moment as she rushed to think of a response to fit the character she was playing, "I'm so sorry, my prince-"

"Call me master when you address me," Loki demanded, swiftly cutting her off.

"Yes, master," Amelia practically exhaled, "I- I just couldn't wait any longer, I couldn't stop thinking about you…"

Loki shook his head, quietly tutting before pinching Amelia's nipple - a little harder than he ordinarily would, which made her gasp - and he smirked, making certain to only filter malevolence into his expression instead of playful amusement.

"You think the world revolves around _you _and your needs?" Loki asked, fingers trailing down to her stomach, where he let his nails dig ever so slightly into her skin as he proceeded to drag his hand all the way over the arch of her bump. "You need to exercise patience, slave," his eyes narrowed, "perhaps I ought to give you a lesson in patience, if you're struggling to comprehend the notion on your own? What do you think? Shall I leave you empty and wanting while I take _my _pleasure and watch you squirm?"

Amelia's eyes widened at the implication that she would have to wait for pleasure - the exact thing she had been trying to avoid when she dragged Loki all the way up to their room under the guise of a lie.

"No, please, I'll be good!" Amelia whimpered.

Loki lifted her leg and abruptly slapped the underside of her thigh, causing her to squeal. "_Say that again," _Loki hissed, "but this time, remember your place."

Amelia worried her lip between her teeth, realising her mistake, "I- I'll be good, master."

Loki hummed, laying his hand flat over Amelia's belly again, "They better be mine," he sneered, and Amelia's jaw dropped, "I hear you're quite the palace whore, getting on your knees for every handsome guard you come across. Tell me, do you ever tire of spreading your legs for absolutely anybody?"

Amelia blinked quickly, seemingly at a loss with what to respond with. It was a yes or no question, but neither answers were very pleasant.

"Master, you are the only one-"

"_Lies." _Loki scoffed venomously, causing Amelia to flinch. She shut her lips tightly and Loki hummed again, directing his gaze southwards, he could see the slick leaking from Amelia's entrance, informing him that despite his forceful and wicked manner, it was all very much leading to her arousal.

He inserted two fingers inside and began thrusting them in and out at a fast pace, almost knocking the breath from her lungs. The squelching noises were sinful, as was the string of whimpers and sobs escaping Amelia's throat from the almost brutal ministrations he was suddenly subjecting her to. She was loving it. Her hands had come down to her sides and she'd grasped fistfuls of the sheets, eagerly parting her legs and lifting her hips to chase the pleasure.

She had grown so sensitive the past couple weeks, often reaching her peak incredibly quickly, and Loki had committed the build-up of her orgasm to memory. He knew exactly when her body was gearing up for release. It began with the flushed patches of pink skin, and then the tremors in her arms and legs, followed by the wailing noises that escaped her throat in _just _the right tonal inflection.

When she began taking quick, shallow breaths, that's when Loki knew her body was about to seize up and reach climax.

He pulled his fingers out of her just before she could pour over the edge, and she gave a wrecked whine.

"Nooooo!" She cried petulantly, her hips collapsing to the bed again, though she continued to tremble, "I was so close!"

Loki scowled at her, drawing out the silence with an unblinking gaze until Amelia had to avert her own eyes shamefully.

"I'm sorry, master," she whispered.

"Hm. So much for being my obedient slave. Perhaps you've forgotten, you're here for _my _pleasure. I decide when you cum. Now, I had plans for you, but your consistent lack of compliance makes me think I should have picked another slave to warm my bed tonight…"

Amelia bit her lip, "Please, master, I'll obey you- I'm yours to command! Anything you wish!"

"_Anything _I wish, mm?"

Amelia nodded her head, breathing shakily through parted lips.

Loki let his wet fingers slip down past her entrance to brush over the pucker of her asshole, "And what about here? What if I wanted to fuck this tight little hole?"

Amelia stiffened, her eyes flashing with uncertainty. Loki could tell the answer was definitely _no, _but that she didn't want to break character by denying him.

Loki spared her the trouble, "Perhaps another time." Amelia let out an audible breath and made a show of spreading her legs wider, she made an abortive movement to rub her clit but remembered quickly enough that doing so was off limits. She resorted to begging, her face red and flustered, eyes glossy with need.

"Please, master…" Her voice was a breathless whisper, "_I'm ready for you."_

Loki had to admit her slick entrance looked incredibly inviting, he wasn't so sure he could continue to deny her much longer. He wanted to sink himself in and feel the snug warmth hugging his cock, if he were to wait any longer, it would be simply torturous.

"Quiet down, slave," Loki commanded firmly when Amelia continued to plead for his cock. He was still fully clothed, and a part of him wanted to remain that way - there was something about Amelia being completely nude and him being completely covered that sent a pulse of need straight to his dick.

He gave in when Amelia gave him the most imploring look he had ever seen, and pushed down his trousers to pull his straining cock from its confines while he scoffed and shook his head, "It is truly remarkable how unquenchable your thirst is, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he tilted his head, rubbing his tip against Amelia's wet folds, "it is only normal that a mere mortal would throw themselves at me, begging to be taken by the powerful prince of Asgard… no one can resist _my_ charm."

He thrust into Amelia and swallowed the groan that bubbled up into his throat while relishing the sounds his wife made. She shook at the welcomed intrusion and moaned as Loki pounded in with a fast pace, he would give her everything she wanted, and _more._

Amelia cried out, incoherent words falling from her lips as Loki's cock dragged against all the sensitive spots inside her, she gasped and keened and howled his name, and he did not let up, nor did he draw attention to the fact she had failed to call him _master. _She must have been too far gone to remember their role-play.

It mattered not, it was hardly the main event any more.

Very soon, Loki could feel that she was fastly approaching orgasm, and this time he granted it to her, a guttural sound rumbling from his throat as her soft walls tightened around him; Amelia's mouth hung open in a silent scream as the powerful climax tore through her and left her quivering uncontrollably.

She twitched violently as Loki continued the brutal pace, squirming from the oversensitivity, and meekly whimpered, "S-slow down… Loki…"

"No, I want to be _certain _I leave you satisfied this time." He had yet to break character, and Amelia's eyes flew open, her hands gripping the pillow below her head to brace herself as Loki's grasp tightened on her thighs. He fucked her hard through not two, but _three _orgasms before he let himself come. Instead of finishing inside her, he pulled out at the last moment and stroked himself as he fell over the edge, his seed spurting out all over Amelia - her stomach, her chest, even a few droplets reached her face.

It was an immeasurably pleasant sight to behold. Amelia was already wrecked from the unrelenting sex, already covered in her own juices, and now this - this was perfect. She lay boneless against the bed, her chest heaving with each breath, and Loki leant down to kiss the corner of her lips.

"Did that live up to your fantasies, _little dove?"_

Amelia let out a whine, wiping Loki's seed from her cheek, "You-" her voice was raspy and raw from how loud she had gotten, "you almost got cum in my _eye."_

Loki snorted, rolling his eyes. Did she not have anything to say about how hard he had ploughed her into the mattress?

"Well," Loki spoke, "I wanted to mark what is _mine."_

* * *

**OOH BABY. Tell me how I did, PLEASE! I worked so freakin' hard on this, I wanna know what you think!**


	14. Love is a Medicine

**Amelia falls very ill very suddenly.**

**No, Amelia does not have Covid-19, just so yah all know, but I felt inclined to write a little hurt/comfort by way of illness, so here ya are.**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Fourteen: Love is a Medicine

It started with a measly sore throat one morning.

Amelia resigned herself to the fact that she was bound to catch a cold at one point or another, it was December and the weather had gotten very cold, plus there was a lot of that sort of thing going around at that time of year. She'd probably caught it off somebody in Central Park, it was easy enough to walk past someone who was coughing or sneezing and not really think anything of it until it was too late, or she may have touched a surface that someone had left their germs on.

No big deal, she thought. It was gonna suck, sure, but it would probably only last a few days and that was that.

During the afternoon of the same day, Amelia sat on the sofa in the communal living room, cuddled to Loki's side, with her feet up while she watched TV. At one point, upon deciding she wanted to flip the channel, Amelia chose to practise her borrowed magic and lift the television remote from the coffee table without having to get up from her comfy position to retrieve it.

As it shifted slowly through the air towards her hand, a sudden throbbing pain began to seep into her head, and she abandoned the action to press her hand to her forehead and try to blink the pain away, flinching as the remote clattered against the hard floor.

"Hey," Loki said gently as he caught the dazed look on Amelia's face, "does your head hurt?"

"Mmmhmm," Amelia groaned in reply, and was overcome by inexplicable tiredness, "think I wanna go to bed."

"It's one o'clock in the afternoon." Loki responded lightly, a touch of amusement to his voice despite Amelia's weary whining.

"Don't feel well," Amelia croaked, her voice affected by the soreness in her throat, and leaned her head against his shoulder, "can you carry me?" Her muscles had been aching since she woke up that morning, and she couldn't find the energy to drag herself and her two growing unborn babies all the way up to their bedroom on her own.

"Amelia…" Loki sounded more concerned now, and tilted Amelia's head back to get a better look at her face, "should I take you to the infirmary? You look terrible."

"Thanks," Amelia grumbled sarcastically, "my terrible face doesn't need to go to the infirmary, it needs to go to bed. I'll be fine after a nap."

Loki huffed, rolling his eyes as he stood up so he could lift his wife into his arms, "You know I didn't mean it like that." She still had a touch of moodiness in her, that much was obvious, but at least she wasn't begging for sex every five minutes.

Loki took Amelia to their room and she assured him that she would be fine napping by herself for a few hours and didn't need him to watch over her constantly. After reminding her that she could speak to F.R.I.D.A.Y if she needed quick assistance, Loki left Amelia alone so she could rest up.

She slept for the rest of the day, and didn't even rouse until around eight o'clock in the evening when Loki's worries began to build and he rubbed her arm, calling her name softly to wake her up. She was imminently entering her third trimester, and it was important that she ate enough food throughout the day to provide for the babies, but Amelia hadn't eaten since midday.

It took a little coaxing, but Amelia finally blinked her eyes open and a whimper of protest escaped her.

"You need to have dinner, love," Loki told her, his face creased with concern at how lacklustre she was, "are you feeling any better than earlier?"

Amelia opened her mouth to respond, but a slew of coughs that became progressively more violent as they continued erupted from her chest, so brutal that she shook with each one. Loki quickly moved her to sit upright and rubbed circles over her back, another hand on her upper arm keeping her steady.

"N-no," Amelia rasped when the coughing subsided, "need to lie down."

"No, I'm taking you to the infirmary. This is worse than just a cold," Loki insisted, picking her up once again like it was nothing, even as Amelia sobbed through another objection. She didn't want to move, her head was pounding, she just wanted to sleep, but as Loki held her close, he knew taking her to see the doctor was the best decision.

"Amelia, you're hot."

"Thanks, so are you," Amelia slurred.

"No, I mean your skin is physically burning up. You have a fever," he quickened his pace, speed-walking his way to the infirmary and cursing under his breath at the slowness of the elevator, "I'm not a doctor, but I know fevers are bad."

"I just wanna sleep." Amelia struggled to make herself comfortable upon resting her head against Loki's shoulder - the constant up and down motion made it impossible for her to relax and let sleep take her. A sudden wheeze escaped her and Loki's grip around her tightened.

"Amelia?"

"Babies kicking," she answered with a groan.

Loki nodded his head. "Good," he said quietly.

* * *

Amelia did not have a cold. She had the _flu, _something Loki quickly learned was not to be taken lightly when diagnosed in pregnant women. She was given antiviral medication and fluids through an intravenous drip to aid in bringing down her fever and rehydrating her, but she turned her nose up at any food Loki attempted to feed her.

"Eat this, Amelia. It's chicken soup, it'll help you feel better," Loki lifted the spoon to her lips, insistent when she turned her head, "you have to eat. You haven't eaten since midday, it's almost eleven o'clock at night. Just eat, okay? One bowl of soup."

Amelia was propped up in the infirmary bed, her face mostly pale except for her red cheeks, still affected by the high temperature of her body. She blinked her eyes like her brain was reeling in her skull, groaning about the ache in her head, and kept her mouth tightly shut as Loki prodded the spoon against them.

She shook her head lightly, turning away, "No… I want to sleep."

"_Amelia,"_ Loki was beginning to lose patience, "I understand you don't feel well, perhaps you aren't feeling hungry, but that doesn't mean you can't eat. You have to, this isn't debatable."

"Throat hurts," she responded, before covering her mouth to cough again.

"If you don't eat, you'll feel worse," Loki tried, "and if you eat, you'll feel better. It's that simple."

Amelia drew in a shuddering breath, her eyes falling shut. She didn't move her hand away from her mouth, a purposeful action to reject the chicken soup that had been brought to her. It was clear Loki needed to be a little more forceful, but it was necessary for Amelia's health, even if it meant upsetting her.

Loki lifted his free hand to rest on Amelia's round stomach, "Amelia, this isn't just for you. It's for them too. Your body is weak enough from this infection, if you refuse to eat, you'll get weaker, and…" he trailed off briefly, not wanting to even entertain the possibility of what could happen, "it could be really bad for them Amelia…"

Amelia was quiet for a moment before blinking her bleary eyes open. She lifted her free hand and laid it atop his on her belly, her eyes scrunching up as moisture gathered in the corners, and she gasped as she sniffled, "I'm sorry…"

"Will you eat? For them?"

Amelia made a soft noise of agreement, and Loki let out a breath of relief, once again scooping up a spoonful of the broth and lifting it to Amelia's lips. She ate it this time, slow and small mouthfuls, and a few stray tears escaped her eyes, but she persisted until the bowl was empty.

"Well done, Amelia. Well done," Loki praised, thankful she had finally cooperated.

"Can I sleep now?" Amelia whispered, and Loki nodded his head, placing the empty bowl on the bedside table. He lowered the headboard so that Amelia was in a more comfortable position, and returned to his chair beside her bed, clutching her hand gently in his own.

He pushed her hair back behind her ear and pressed his knuckles to her forehead, the burn of her skin still very prevalent; Loki's eyes rose to the vitals monitor to the left of the bed, her temperature had dropped a fraction of a degree, but it was still too high at 103.2 fahrenheit, and it didn't seem to be dropping any lower.

Doctor Banner entered the infirmary a few moments later, coming in at just the right time to check up on Amelia, "How is she holding up?" Loki latched on to the clear tension in his voice - he too was worried, and that didn't bode well.

"You said this medication would bring her temperature down," Loki practically hissed, "_why _isn't it working?"

Banner frowned, "We need to be patient. It should start to work more thoroughly soon."

Loki stood from his chair quickly, "Well I don't _want _to wait. What if it gets _worse?"_

Banner shook his head subtly, looking back to the monitor, "What do you propose?"

"We need to try something else," Loki stepped back to Amelia's side, his fingers brushing her hand, and then he sighed, "I'm sure Inga would have something back at the palace in New Asgard. I can go to her and bring back something that would definitely help."

Banner seemed unsure of the idea, and that was how Loki knew it was what he _needed _to do, if the doctor was sure the medication would work, he would have insisted he stay and wait.

"Don't go…" Amelia piped up weakly. Loki had thought she was asleep, but it appeared she had heard the whole conversation. He frowned and took Amelia's hand in both of his own, rubbing her skin softly.

"I won't be long. I'll bring back something that will help you. Just hang tight."

He didn't want to leave her, not while she looked so fretful of the idea of him being away for an hour or so, but if it meant reversing Amelia's debilitated condition, it had to be done. "Go to sleep," he told her, eyes flicking to the doctor present in the room for a second, "Banner will stay with you until I return."

Loki kissed her forehead before departing.

* * *

It hadn't taken long to contact Heimdall and access the Bifrost, but it was quite unfortunate that Inga did not have the desired concoction ready to be taken when Loki arrived. It was a simple elixir in regards to the ingredients, but it took more than a while to brew it, _time _that Loki couldn't put to waste.

"Why don't you have any already made?" Loki groused as he watched Inga work as quickly as possible.

"It's wintertime, my prince," Inga responded tightly, "few people are in need of a potion that lowers one's temperature while it's snowing outside." She didn't falter as she spoke, quickly popping the components into her basin. "Why didn't you just bring her to me? There's far more I could do for her if she was _here."_

"She's in no condition to travel through the Bifrost. I didn't want to make things worse for her," Loki replied. He was grinding his teeth and shifting from one foot to the other, it was difficult to stand still when he knew Amelia was suffering back at Avengers Tower.

Time seemed to slow down as he waited. He became hyper aware of every small sound; from the noise of stirring liquid to clinking glass, and the echo of footsteps that eventually became subtly noticeable as the palace workers began to wake up bright and early for the day ahead. Light shone through the window; it was still the middle of the night back in Manhattan, Loki could feel the pull of sleep in the back of his mind. Usually he'd be cuddled up with Amelia fast asleep at this time.

Every moment that ticked by was another step towards Amelia's illness growing worse. Loki became more and more restless, pacing the room in silence, occasionally letting out an anxious sigh. Inga let him know that his constant moving around and impatient sighs were disturbing her focus and drawing the whole process out, to which he tried his hardest to stand still and shut the fuck up. Any other situation and Loki would have reminded Inga that she was talking to the prince and needed to show him respect, but there was too much at stake to spit back witty jibes, so he simply did as he was told.

All in all, it took two hours.

Two hours. Amelia had been waiting for him for two long hours.

When he returned to the tower through the Bifrost, he sprinted up the stairwell and through the halls towards the infirmary, unwilling to let Amelia wait any second longer than she had to.

Upon rushing into the infirmary, he found Amelia hacking and coughing into her hand while Banner helped her sit upright to try and lessen the severity of each horrid choke. A glance at the machine monitoring her temperature revealed that it had not dropped, it was still in a dangerously high zone. It wouldn't be for long.

"I'm here, Amelia," Loki exclaimed, rushing to her other side, and cupped her face, lifting her chin so he could see her eyes. She looked so tired, and her eyes were brimming with tears - probably from the force of continuously coughing up her lungs; she wheezed, gasping for breath when there was a moment of reprieve, and let out a pained, pitiful noise.

Loki could hear the rasp with each breath she took, and the way she cringed told him her throat was still very sore. Despite her ailments, she was filled with utter relief as she looked at him.

"Did you find something that would help?" Doctor Banner asked, and Loki nodded, pulling the vial of cool, blue liquid from the satchel hanging off his shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Amelia," Loki assured her, "this will do away with your fever, and Inga said it may soothe your throat too." Inga wasn't entirely sure how long the potion would work for, but she had instructed Loki to administer it whenever her temperature began to climb. Amelia only needed a sip, Inga told him.

With his hand on the back of her neck, he tilted her head back gently and brought the cooling draught to her lips. Amelia swallowed the small sip she was given, and Loki helped her lay back against the bed before corking the vial and placing it on the side table. He stood over Amelia, watching her closely as she blinked wearily up at him, and once again took her hand in his.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long," he whispered, and she responded by squeezing his hand, "how are you feeling?"

Amelia let out a soft sigh and spoke, her voice a very light murmur, "My throat is a little better…"

Banner stayed present for the next ten minutes, watching the monitor as Amelia's temperature slowly but surely showed a decline until it was out of the red zone, upon which he gave a sigh of relief, "It's a good thing you retrieved that medicine from Asgard, Loki," the doctor praised, "it should be enough to help her through the next few days, by which the antiviral drugs should've run their course." He failed to restrain a yawn. "I'm going to get some sleep. If anything happens, tell F.R.I.D.A.Y to wake me up, I'll be here like a shot."

Loki nodded and watched as Banner made a move to leave. "Wait," Loki stopped him, and then tentatively said, "thanks for watching her."

Banner gave him a small smile, "Anytime."

After the doctor left, Loki pulled his chair in close to the bed and caressed Amelia's cheek as she dozed. The potion appeared to have alleviated her need to cough every few minutes, which was great, because it meant she could sleep peacefully now. A glance at the clock revealed it had passed one o'clock in the morning. Sleepiness lingered in the back of Loki's head, now that Amelia wasn't in danger, he felt he could probably sleep too.

He drew back only briefly before he heard Amelia's small voice break through the silence in the room, "Don't leave again…"

"I'm not," Loki promised her, "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."

"You're not leaving?" Amelia struggled to lift her eyelids.

"No, I'm not going anywhere," he repeated assuredly.

"I was so scared when you weren't here."

Loki frowned, leaning down over the bed to press a light kiss to her lips, "I'm sorry, love, it won't happen again. It's going to be fine now."

The corners of Amelia's mouth lifted in a weak smile, "You shouldn't kiss me… you'll get sick too."

"I won't. I'm immune to human illnesses," Loki explained, "you'll never see me sick."

"Never?"

"Never," Loki affirmed.

* * *

Amelia awoke to the sensation of burning. Her throat protested when she tried to make any sort of sound, too sore and painful for any words to escape her. Her body was hot. Too hot, far too ridiculously hot. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was, and it wasn't until she saw Loki sleeping in the chair at her bedside that she remembered she was in the infirmary.

She tried kicking off the thin blanket laid over her, but the muscles in her legs screamed when she tried to move them. Everything felt so heavy. She needed to cool down, she could feel that she was sweating, and a sudden kick in her stomach told her that one or both of her unborn children were just as uncomfortable as she was in that moment.

She tried to wake Loki, but ended up cringing in pain when she tried to speak. In the corner of her eye, she saw the icy blue liquid in the glass vial on her bedside, and immediately reached for it. Her arm felt like it weighed a tonne, but she forced the limb to obey, her fingers wriggling as she prodded the potion that sat just out of reach.

Tears of discomfort rolled down Amelia's face, the strain of pushing herself to attain the healing concoction would be worth it just as soon as she could imbibe a single drop. Her arm shook, fingertips brushing the vial again, and then it tipped suddenly, falling to the floor in a flash.

The resounding shatter woke Loki in an instant, startling him from his slumber, and his shocked gaze turned grave when he saw the contents of the bottle splattered on the floor. He looked to Amelia, to her outstretched arm, and then to the vitals monitor behind her before leaping to his feet.

A cry finally sounded from Amelia's throat, full of agonised upset, "I'm so-sorry, I'm sorry-" she sobbed, feeling overwhelmingly like she'd done something terrible and that Loki was mad at her. Loki seemed to flail in place for a moment, weighing his options, and Amelia could tell that he was considering heading back to Asgard to retrieve another healing concoction from just the look in his dark green eyes.

"Don't go," Amelia whimpered. Her head was suddenly pounding as fear pulsed through her veins, "I don't want you to leave again, pl-please…"

"Shhh," Loki hushed her, pressing his palm against her head to feel the intense heat radiating from her skin, and he cringed slightly before he raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Heimdall, can you hear me?"

Heimdall was the cool guy in the golden armour that Amelia had seen briefly when she was last in Asgard, and Loki had explained to her that his powers allowed him to see _everything. _Amelia wondered if Heimdall could see them now.

"I need you to ask Inga to make more of the cooling elixir, and to bring it here as soon as possible," Loki requested firmly. Amelia heard only one side of the conversation, and as soon as Loki made the implication that he would not be leaving, Amelia let out an easing breath. It was, however, quickly interrupted by another slew of dreadful coughs.

"Tell her to be quick, _please." _Loki added, moving to lift Amelia into a sitting position, hoping it would alleviate the mucous in her throat. He gave all of his attention to Amelia, then, having signed off with Heimdall. "Shh, shh," Loki murmured, rubbing his hand in circles on Amelia's back, the other hand came to rest reassuringly on her stomach. It brought Amelia more than enough comfort, but her head lulled forwards, unable to hold it up from the pangs of aching within her skull.

"How- how long?" Amelia rasped.

"Not long, Amelia," Loki responded, a waver of uncertainty in his voice, "Inga won't waste a single second."

"I'm… I'm too hot."

Loki was once again grinding his teeth, looking up to the vitals monitor which showed her temperature was a few decimals higher than it had been earlier that morning. The concoction had kept it low for a good five hours, if only it wasn't now in a puddle on the floor, there were few other things that could be done to help soothe Amelia's distress. Loki hated to see her suffer.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, get Banner down here now," Loki told the tower's resident A.I, which adhered to his request. He would feel better with the doctor present, but that didn't solve the question of how he was going to try and keep Amelia's body cool until Inga arrived.

"Lok… too hot…" Amelia whined again, quiet tears sprouting from her eyes, "head hurts…" She was barely coherent, the high temperature of her body making it difficult for her to think and even more difficult to speak; the thin blanket had been pulled back and all that covered her was an even thinner nightgown. It would've been a dream to douse herself in icy water at that moment.

Loki looked at her suddenly, a strange expression on his face. He looked at her with apprehension and discomfort, but with a sort of resignation to it, and then he sighed, lowering his head.

"It's okay, Amelia… I know what to do."

For a moment, there was nothing, and then an unexpected chill seemed to come out of nowhere, filling the air around Amelia. She shivered reflexively, but it was simply wonderful to feel the cooling sensation from the air against her overheated skin, she didn't care that she had no idea where it had come from.

And then she saw. Loki's pale skin seeping into a dark sapphire blue, the lines upon his skin raising up as he transformed into his birth form. He lifted her then, mindful of the IV in her arm, and slipped into the bed behind her so she could recline against his chest and be enveloped in the chilled embrace. Amelia naturally tensed at the cold, but felt herself sinking into it gradually, a moan of placation escaping her lips.

Loki's arms held her flush against him, one palm pressing to her forehead, the other gripping her hand; Amelia pressed her burning cheek to his chest, the iciness of his skin through the fabric of his shirt feeling _heavenly _against her face, and practically melted in his arms.

"Thank… you…" Amelia whispered, enjoying the soothing cuddle. She knew how uncomfortable it made him to transform, especially outside of their bedroom or anywhere he knew they would have privacy. He was vulnerable here, because anyone could burst into the infirmary at any moment, and given that he had called for Bruce shortly before, it was highly likely it would happen.

And yet, Loki stayed there, providing Amelia with a well-needed chill. He was her hero.

Amelia dragged Loki's hand down to her stomach, pressing it there just as she felt the telltale signs of movement. It wasn't as hard as a kick, which made Amelia think that perhaps the babies were reaching back, seeking out that lovely glacial cold - she didn't know if her near-delirious mind was just thinking up adorable visions to mollify herself with, but she chose to believe it was true.

Loki could no doubt feel them moving, too. His palm brushed over her belly with a tender, loving touch; Amelia wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but they were eventually interrupted as a set of footsteps bounded down the outside hall.

Loki tensed. Bruce entered in a rush, and then froze - _figuratively, not literally _\- at the sight of Loki's alternate form.

Amelia remembered Loki telling her once that she was the only one, save for Odin, who had ever seen him in his Jotun form, and now that was no longer so. Bruce, however, seemed to snap out of it very quickly - it was inherent to his character that he would be one to fully understand Loki's perturbation at having somebody stare upon a form he hated so much, after all, Bruce was _the Hulk, _so it only stood to reason.

"What happened?" Bruce inquired. He'd probably been woken from his sleep so precipitously that his mind was still lagging just a bit.

"The vial smashed," Loki pointed out, "I contacted Heimdall so that more could be made, but this is the only way to lower her temp-"

Another interruption, Loki grew even more rigid as another pair of footsteps sounded.

Thor and Inga burst into the room.

After a brief pause to observe Loki's unfamiliar form, Inga went immediately into healer-mode, she stepped forward, procuring a fresh vial of icy blue liquid from the pocket of her robe, "You are _so _lucky I brewed enough for a whole batch when you came to me this morning," the woman declared, uncorking the lid and lifting the potion to Amelia's lips so she could sip at it, "or I may not have arrived for another two hours."

The relief was almost immediate. The liquid coated her throat, lessening the soreness and the urge to cough, keeping her cool from the inside out.

Thor had yet to say anything, but Amelia knew all would be well with him. It was just a surprise to see Loki like this for the first time, and she wanted so badly to remind her husband of that, because she was sure Loki probably thought everybody present was staring at him in disgust.

In just a few minutes, Amelia was already feeling better, eyelids growing heavy as she fought to stay conscious. It had been a long night for everybody involved, and Amelia had already decided she wasn't gonna reach so carelessly for that life-saving potion again, not with her curse of clumsiness.

When Loki finally slipped out from below Amelia, laying her gently back against the soft pillow, he sent Thor an irritable glare. "What're you looking at, Thor?" he asked with a dash of venom in his voice, red eyes pinned on the other. The Asgardian king had not stopped staring at him, and it was clear this vexed Loki greatly.

After a pause, Thor's brow unfurrowed and he offered a small smile, "Nothing, brother."

Loki just looked away, pulling his seat back up to Amelia's bed so he could stay close as he waited for his blue form to fade away, but Amelia knew just how meaningful Thor's simple response really was to her husband.

* * *

**Also, that one line about Loki being so sure Amelia would never see him falling ill is definitely foreshadowing a future chapter later down the road OR a oneshot in and of itself where Loki does, in fact, fall ill. ;)**

**So, I'm planning on writing maybe one more chapter before the big day where the babies are born! I might have to ask you to be patient though, as it might be a couple weeks before I'm able to post it. I've been feeling inclined to put a chunk of my free time to doing stress-reducing things like playing Animal Crossing instead of dedicating my entire day to writing lmao. Don't get me wrong, I adore writing this fic, but obviously all work and no play makes Kumikoseph a sad girl :')**


	15. Unanticipated Chaos

**Sorry it took a while to have this chapter out! I hope you all enjoy it ;) **

**There's quite a significant time jump between the last chapter and this one, just fyi!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Fifteen: Unanticipated Chaos

It was still very cold at the end of January, which was why it was lucky the huge bedroom in New Asgard had a large fireplace, just for such occasions when the weather was still very deep into the season of Winter. Amelia was particularly looking forward to cuddling Loki in the comfort of their bed that night, while the fire kept the room around them pleasantly heated.

"I'll just use magic to light it," Loki spoke idly as Amelia made a move towards the bed, wanting desperately to slip below the covers and trap the warmth to her body, but she stopped short, looking curiously back over her shoulder.

"Ooh, can I try lighting it?" She was always looking for a good reason to utilise the magical energy that ran freely throughout her body.

"No," Loki replied in a no-nonsense voice as he knelt down by the hearth to throw a few chopped logs in.

"Ugh," Amelia sighed, padding over to the bed, "you never let me use magic." The whine in her voice carried, and Loki subtly rolled his eyes.

"Because magic isn't a toy," Loki reminded her, "_especially _fire magic. It's dangerous. Plus, you are heavily pregnant and I don't want to risk you making a mistake and causing chaos."

"You like chaos, though."

"I like when _I _am causing chaos, not so much when anybody else is having a go."

Amelia smiled, climbing onto the large four-poster bed with a slight groan due to the effort of lugging her enormous belly around. In exactly two weeks, the babies were due to arrive, and Amelia had to admit, it would be absolutely wonderful to finally be able to move freely again instead of having to waddle from place to place and holding onto Loki's arm when descending or ascending stairs.

"Well, just wait, soon enough there might be two littles ones running around who _love _causing chaos- _oof…" _Amelia winced, causing Loki's head to shoot up, his nervous gaze following her every move.

"Are you…?" He inquired tentatively.

"I'm perfectly fine," Amelia gave a huff of a laugh, finding it more than a little endearing that Loki went into worrier mode every time she felt the slightest discomfort, "it's just- I think one of them just decided to jam their elbow right into my bladder, so, um, be right back." She walked awkwardly to the adjoined bathroom, trying not to wet herself as she went.

That was another thing she was going to be thankful for - the lack of tiny but fierce limbs being shoved into all her internal organs like they were having a damn party in there.

When Amelia returned to the bedroom, it was pleasantly warm and heating up fast, but she knew it would be toastier still below the covers. Loki was sat on the bed with his eyes closed in light meditation - it was something he'd been doing a lot recently and Amelia believed it was due to the fact that as her due date approached, her husband's nervousness grew more and more.

Amelia was just as nervous. The two of them had read many books and even taken a few prenatal classes to better acquaint themselves with how to best care for their children, but everything always sounded simple in theory. When it came to the practical side of things, Amelia was expecting it wouldn't be so easy. She had already come to terms with the fact that she would suffer through many sleepless nights to constantly be there for her babies, and that there would be times where she would feel like she was going through hell, but so long as Loki was there by her side and they took on the challenge together, Amelia was confident they could succeed and be great parents.

She crawled onto the bed and brushed her hand against Loki's upper arm, to which he smiled and covered it with his own. Loki leaned over and gave Amelia a tender kiss before nuzzling his nose against her cheek, "The gift gala is tomorrow at noon, so we're free to sleep in or if you're feeling up to it, we can walk to the library. Whatever you want to do… tomorrow is about you and our children, after all."

"Mmm, I'll see how I feel in the morning. I'm kind of nervous," Amelia replied, letting herself slump against him till her head was resting on his shoulder.

"What are you nervous about?"

"Being the centre of attention in Asgard, duh."

"Why is that so nerve-wracking?"

"It's alright for you, princey boy, you've been doing this all your life. I'm still new to this _princess_ thing. I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Amelia said with a light sigh, "what am I going to have to do, anyway?"

Loki laughed softly, "You're supposed to be excited about tomorrow, not dreading it. You don't have to _do _anything apart from smile and thank the guests when they present you with a gift."

"I don't like-"

"You don't like when people get you gifts, yes, I know. Most of the gifts will be for the _children, _though, so imagine you're thanking the guest on behalf of them," Loki tapped Amelia's bump fondly.

Amelia sighed and smiled, "I suppose I can do that."

A silence fell upon them for a few peaceful minutes, and then Amelia drew in a shaky breath, "I'm really nervous about… about giving birth," her voice was but a murmur, "-it sounds really scary. I'm worried it'll be a long and painful process…"

Loki shifted, tilting his head to look down at her. He gathered her up in his arms, holding her in a gentle embrace, "You needn't worry. I will be by your side the entire time. Inga has delivered babies before, she'll know what to do, and she'll have pain-relief tonics for you. Just think, once it's over, you'll be able to look upon the faces of our children and the hassle will be entirely worth it."

Amelia grinned, sinking against him as she relaxed, "That is very, very true."

"Whatever happens, I know you're strong enough to get through it. I won't let anything happen to you, or to them." Loki's promise was soothing, and Amelia believed his words completely.

It was easy to fall asleep snuggled in Loki's arms, especially when he settled her fears with the sound of his voice. The warmth of the fire and the softness of the bedding carried her into sweet dreams while the cold winds swept by outside the windows.

* * *

Amelia was woken in the morning by a sharp tightening feeling in her stomach. "Agh! Fuck," she exclaimed, wincing when she tried to push herself up and felt a spike of pain in her lower back. She groaned as the pain in her abdomen persisted for a moment before fading away and let out a sigh.

Loki roused at the sound of her discomfort, "Love?"

"I'm fine," Amelia was quick to assure him. It wasn't the first time she'd felt the pinch of pain in her abdomen, similar to the feeling of cramps, and Inga had explained that it was a normal sensation that she could feel up to a few weeks before giving birth. There was no reason to panic, and the last thing she wanted was for her husband to worry. "Just usual pains and stuff."

Loki rubbed her stomach, as he always did when Amelia was experiencing discomfort, and pressed a kiss to her shoulder gingerly, "Do you want to go back to sleep, or do you want breakfast?" He blinked lazily as he spoke, still in the process of waking up.

Amelia smiled, "How long do we have?"

Loki leaned over to glance towards the windows, supposedly gauging the time from how much light was pouring into the room, "Mm, maybe three hours?"

"I wanna have a bath. Then breakfast. Then we can go to the library?"

Loki glanced her over, tilting an eyebrow curiously, "You seem in a rush to be up and about, are you sure you have enough energy? You don't want to sleep some more?" His soft concern was endearing, and Amelia appreciated his urge to double check, given she wasn't always great at measuring her own energy levels, but today she felt surprisingly spry and wanted to wander the palace in search for something fun to do before the gala at noon.

"I'm sure," she smiled, "I can handle it."

* * *

"What's this book about?" Amelia picked out a worn book bound with red leather, the title of which she could not read as it was written with Norse runic symbols; she traced her fingers over the lettering curiously. The intricate inking on the spine of the book had caught her eye, it was quite fascinating to learn about where all the publications had come from given they were all hundreds of years old.

Loki had told her before that the library in New Asgard was only a fraction of the size it had been in the palace of the original realm, as only a small percentage of the works were saved before Asgard's destruction. Amelia had found it somewhat amusing that the first instinct of the fleeing Asgardians had been to rescue the books, but the more she learned, the more she understood just how much sense it made. _Knowledge is power,_ she thought.

"It's a non-fictional study by Oyvind Somerled on draugr," Loki explained as he peered over Amelia's shoulder, his hands resting on her waist securely. He hovered close to her at all times and told her it was because of how clumsy she could be - Amelia couldn't afford to be clumsy this late into her pregnancy - not that Amelia complained. Any opportunity to be close to Loki was an opportunity she gladly seized.

"Draugr? What's that?" Amelia felt she had heard the word before, but couldn't recall exactly what it was.

"They're monsters. Reanimated corpses, cursed warriors who have died and come back. They have rotting skin and glowing eyes and aspire to guard their treasures," Loki spoke with an unfitting smile on his face.

"Ugh. Gross. So they're like zombies?"

"Essentially."

"That's disgusting. You're not telling me they're _real?"_

Loki raised an eyebrow, "It's a non-fictional study…"

"Shut up, they're not real," Amelia gulped, "Right? They're not… this is made up…"

Loki continued to stare at her and repeated himself, "Non-fictional study."

"_Stop." _Amelia laughed, and then bit her lip nervously, "They're not real on _Earth,_ right?"

Loki plucked the book from her hands and opened it up to an illustrated page, showing a scratchy sketch with faded ink of a very unfriendly looking draugr, his flesh literally hanging from his body, ribs visible below his paper-thin skin.

"They better fucking not be real on Earth," Amelia murmured, eyeing the drawing with heavy disdain.

"Who knows?" Loki said teasingly, and Amelia proceeded to give him a wary look till he grinned, flipping through another few pages, "They do not manifest in Midgard, don't worry. Anyway, if they _did, _I would certainly keep you safe."

His promise filled Amelia with warmth, and she watched as he stepped away and raised the book to slot it back into place on the shelf. Before he could do so, Amelia felt the same pinch in her abdomen that woke her up that morning, and buckled over in pain, grabbing onto one of the shelves so that she didn't tumble to her knees.

Loki's entire attention was immediately on his wife, and he paid no mind as the book fell from his hands and lay forgotten on the floor in a heap while he fussed over Amelia, checking she was alright.

"I'm okay- I'm okay," Amelia sighed, taking a few breaths to steady herself, and leaned against Loki as he lifted and guided her to the closest chair before kneeling in front of her.

"Do you need Inga?" He asked, glancing down at Amelia's hand that was placed on her belly, "I don't think this pain is normal- should I-"

"It's okay," Amelia breathed, "It's normal, don't worry. Inga said this would happen. The pain isn't lingering… it's just my body getting ready and preparing for the next couple weeks, y'know?" She managed a smile as the pinching eased, but the furrow in Loki's brow did not change.

"Excuse me?" A sharp voice came from around the side of the bookcase, and both Amelia and Loki looked up to see the disgruntled librarian woman who was looking down at the old book Loki had carelessly dropped. "My prince, I should expect you to take better care of our books," she sternly scolded.

"I'm sorry," it was Amelia who spoke up, feeling that she was partly to blame.

"No, it was my fault," Loki clarified, "I'm the one who dropped it. I apologise, but I had to assist my wife," his apology was dismissive, he didn't even look at the woman as his concerned gaze was still on Amelia's face, searching for any more hints that she was in pain.

The librarian looked down at Loki with disappointment in the same way a teacher might stare down at a student who had not done their homework, "Honestly, prince. Once upon a time, you showed these books so much care," she sighed as she bent over and picked the book up, and seemed to realise that Loki wasn't really paying her any attention. She looked at Amelia, her lips curling ever so slightly into an almost knowing smile, "But I guess our priorities do change as time goes on."

Amelia found the librarian's observation to be very sweet, and shifted forward in her chair to embrace her husband. Loki welcomed the affection, to which Amelia grinned into his shoulder; at the beginning of their relationship, Loki had hated the thought of showing even a dash of affection in public, but here he was now.

He was definitely ready for fatherhood.

* * *

The gala took place in the throne room, and to Amelia's dismay, she was the centre of attention. She found herself seated in a fancy looking chair at the base of the steps leading up to Thor's throne, while Loki stood at her side, the both of them dressed in their finest clothes.

The dress had been made by Signy yet again, and it was sewn to her new measurements, taking the baby bump into account. It was beautiful and comfortable, and _somehow _still made her feel fabulous despite the huge belly in front of her - it was a nice change of pace after spending so long in maternity pants.

All the nobles and upper class were present, ready to offer the gifts they had brought for the yet-to-be-born prince and princess, there was a bustling excitement in the room as the guests ate and drank and murmured amongst themselves.

Amelia gave a deep sigh, feeling a little bit nauseous, probably from her nerves, but it must have been loud enough for Loki to lean down and ask if she was well. He was still a little apprehensive about the pains Amelia had been experiencing, and was a little put off when he realised Inga wasn't going to be present for the first half of the gala. The healer unfortunately had patients in the infirmary that required her aid, so she wasn't going to be there for another half hour.

"I'm fine," Amelia whispered back to her husband, "I think I just need more water."

Loki immediately signalled one of the servants who was carrying a pitcher, and the man approached at once, refilling her cup. Amelia thanked the servant quietly and took a sip, noting that the hand lifting the cup was shaking ever so slightly. The crampy pains in her abdomen were present again, but they were mild, and Amelia figured she could probably push through it - it wasn't the worst pain she had ever felt, after all.

Loki's hand rested on her shoulder, rubbing gently and soothingly, he could sense her discomfort.

Amelia left herself drift in and out of focus, not paying much attention to the clamour of speaking guests at the rows of tables before her, and picked at the grapes on the small table beside her, and before long the King rose and addressed everybody in the room with his booming voice.

"If everybody who has a gift to offer could form an orderly line, we can commence with the gift-giving."

Amelia felt a spike of anxiety in the pit of her stomach, and she wondered briefly if the babies could also sense her nerves. Amelia had felt a little restlessness from them as they shuffled around inside her, like they were struggling to get comfortable - she couldn't help but think that she was to blame and that they were empathetically sharing her distress.

She rubbed her stomach reflexively, and Loki's hand on her shoulder squeezed.

The gift-giving portion of the celebrations began, and Amelia forced herself to pay attention to the people who offered presents for her babies, thanking them softly with a nod of her head as Loki had told her.

One by one, each guest introduced themselves, who they were, what their title was, and what they had brought to bestow upon her. Amelia gave her best smile to each of them as the gifts piled up - a tiny matching set of royal dresses, hand-made toys, minute socks and shoes, and some more general gifts like carved soaps or vials of sweet perfumes and oils.

They were all welcomed gifts, and Amelia was grateful for each and every one, thanking the givers profusely, and then eventually a noble woman who introduced herself as Kjellfrid offered up an ornately carved box, the contents of which were two silver circlets for each of her babies. They were beautiful and delicately made, but the thought of two newborn children wearing them just seemed a little silly to Amelia.

Perhaps it was how things went in Asgard, though. Amelia imagined the babies would not find them at all comfortable, and they definitely wouldn't be wearing them for long at a time if they had to.

Nevertheless, Amelia forced a smile and said her necessary thank-you for the gift. The woman looked awfully happy with herself, smug even, like she thought she had offered up the best gift out of everybody there. If only she knew.

The next guest stepped up and opened their mouth to introduce themselves, but they didn't have time to speak before the cramps in Amelia's abdomen got a whole lot more painful very suddenly, and she gasped, leaning over in her chair as she held her stomach.

"Amelia?" Loki bent down at her side, waving the guest away quickly to give her space. It took Amelia more than a moment to respond, which perturbed Loki more so than usual.

"It… it hurts," Amelia sucked in air through her gritted teeth, aware that all eyes in the throne room were on her, which didn't exactly help matters, "more than before."

The pain wasn't letting up after a few moments like it had been before, her breaths were coming faster and she winced as it hit again, letting out a pained whine. At the back of her mind she felt dreadfully embarrassed thanks to all the people staring at her, but at the same time she didn't care, she just wanted the pain to pass.

Thor descended the steps quickly, "What is going on?" His voice was peppered with concern.

"We need Inga," Loki told him shakily, to which the king proceeded to order a couple of servants to fetch the healer in an urgent manner.

Another pain wracked through Amelia's abdomen, causing her to cry out, and then there was a dropping feeling, like something was shifting inside her, "Oh god, Loki-" she grabbed his hand like a lifeline, "Loki, Loki-"

"I'm right here," her husband told her, barely restraining the anxiety in his voice, "Inga's coming. What do you need?"

"Loki, I- I think… I think it might be happening." Amelia stammered breathlessly, her instincts telling her that her children didn't want to wait another two weeks like they were supposed to.

Loki's face went pale, his mouth opening and closing a few times silently, before he hurriedly spoke, "They're not supposed to come for another two weeks!" He mirrored her thoughts, and Amelia groaned as another wave of pain fluttered through her.

"Loki, I think you should tell that to _them."_

* * *

**IT'S HAPPENING. OH GOD IT'S HAPPENING. IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS AND NOW IT'S HAPPENING. WOOOOOOOOO BOY!**

**The twins clearly didn't get the memo of their due date!**

**WHO'S EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!? It shouldn't be as long for me to update this time cause I'll be going straight to begin the next chapter in the next couple of days ;)**

**LEMME HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS!**


	16. Of All The Things My Hands Have Held

**GUYS IT'S THE MOMENT EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR! **

**This is no doubt the most anticipated chapter of this whole fic. I hope I've done it justice and I hope everybody enjoys it.**

**Thank you for your patience, everybody ;)**

**Few things to note: I have never been pregnant or given birth, so everything I write here is from a result of me researching what I can via the internet, people's experiences and my friend's reliable knowledge of childbirth. So if you see anything that seems unrealistic, know that I tried to make this realistic, and that I wanted to avoid all the cliche stuff you see in media because half the time that stuff is not realistic in the slightest xD**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Sixteen: Of All The Things My Hands Have Held

Loki had been hoping the two weeks remaining until Amelia's due date arrived would offer him time to build courage for the approaching day, but he had not accounted for the fact that _sometimes, _babies wanted to be born just a little bit earlier.

He did not want to admit that he was scared, that his nerves were shot, especially not while his wife was the one currently looking as pale as a sheet and heaving laboured breaths in an attempt to calm herself. He had to be strong and fearless in Amelia's presence for her sake, because he knew that any uncertainty on his part would mean ten times the anxiety for Amelia.

He and Amelia had been taken to a special branch of the infirmary - a royal suite of sorts that included the softest bed, and floral decor that was meant as a calming aid - and the latter was now lying on the bed after having changed into an infirmary gown, her hands resting on her bump and her eyes resting on the ceiling. Loki thought perhaps she was trying to distract herself from the occasional pains by counting the many golden painted swirls above.

Inga had rushed to examine Amelia as soon as she heard of the commotion and had concluded that she had entered established labour, meaning it was no false alarm - it was really happening and there was no time for Loki to process this.

Amelia wasn't in a talkative mood, as every time Loki tried to comfort her, she would cut him off swiftly with a snappy '_yes, I know, I know' _but Loki supposed he couldn't blame her for not being a chatterbox while she was dealing with the currently infrequent contraction pains. From what he had read, they could be quite painful, and would only get worse as the labour progressed.

He was dreading what was to come. The average labour time was eight hours. _Eight. _It was awful to see Amelia in pain, and he couldn't think of anything he could say to soothe her. He'd known the birth wasn't going to be a breeze, but there was a difference between believing everything would be fine and that Amelia would go through it like a champ, and actually being there in front of her and witnessing her pained flinches and moans as her body prepared itself for the imminent event.

At the very least, Inga's team of nurses were doing everything to make Amelia as comfortable as possible, from fluffing up her pillows to coaching her through breathing exercises. Loki had imagined he would be very useful when it came to soothing Amelia's anxiety during labour, but here he was, completely and utterly useless.

He sat in the chair beside the bed, stewing in his own worries. It felt like there was a weight on his chest making it difficult for him to breathe; it was a very real possibility that this time tomorrow, his two children would be born and he'd be able to hold them in his arms, and that was if they were lucky. Some labours went on for days. He couldn't imagine Amelia pushing through that, he didn't _want _Amelia to have to endure for that long. She'd carried the babies for nine months as they grew, and it hadn't been easy. The least fate could afford them was an easy birth.

Beyond that, Loki couldn't stop the burrowing thought in his head that his children would be blue-skinned and red-eyed. He didn't know what he would do or how he would react if that were to happen. Amelia said she would love them no matter what, but what if- what if?

Loki hated to think about the 'what ifs', because whenever he did, he pictured the worst case scenario. His thoughts of doubt led to thoughts of guilt. He shouldn't have been questioning Amelia's unconditional love for her children. Did it make _him _a bad person to think that Amelia could possibly reject her babies?

"You're four centimetres dilated, Amelia. You'll need to be ten centimetres dilated before the birthing process can begin, and that could take anywhere from hours to days. At the moment, your contractions seem to be around thirty minutes apart and lasting about half a minute each time. How is the pain?" Inga inquired, resting her hand on Amelia's arm, "I'd prefer not to give you a pain relief concoction until a little later into labour, as you may end up needing more, and too much can interfere with the birthing process, but if the pain is unbearable, we can still use it sparingly."

Amelia blinked, taking a deep breath before nodding, "I'm okay at the moment. I can handle it."

Inga nodded her head, offering a comforting smile, "Good. You're doing fine so far. Remember, if you need anything, just ask. I'll be here monitoring your progress regularly so we can keep track of how dilated you are."

Loki was surprised by Amelia's decision to turn pain relief away, he had thought she would want it given how distressed she appeared to be; it filled him with unease to see her so vulnerable. He turned to Inga, eyebrows furrowed, "Do you know how long this will take?"

Inga quirked an eyebrow, looking far from amused, "This is not something that can be rushed, prince. As I said, it can take anywhere from hours to days."

"Amelia can't handle this for _days-" _Loki was interrupted.

"I can if I have to!" Amelia snapped, drawing his attention. She almost looked insulted that Loki had spoken for her.

"I just- I'm worried for you, Amelia," Loki admitted.

Amelia gave an audible sigh, shaking her head as she subconsciously rubbed her belly; Loki simply couldn't decipher what his wife's reaction was supposed to mean. She was acting weirdly cryptic at the worst possible time, and Loki found himself feeling that Amelia wanted some space.

Biting his lip, Loki cleared his throat, "Are you- do you need anything to eat?" He needed a reason to leave the room for a little while.

"No," Amelia shook her head.

"Do you need anything to drink?" Loki tried again.

"No, I'm fine," was Amelia's curt response, "I have water." Indeed, there was a pitcher and a cup on the nearby table.

Loki stood from his seat, oscillating for a moment as he wondered if leaving Amelia's side was a good idea, before making up his mind, "I need to- go outside for a moment."

"What?" Amelia looked away from the ceiling to pin him with a look of incredulity, "Why? Where are you going?"

Loki couldn't quite bring himself to look her in the eyes, "Just out. For a moment. I'll be back soon, I need some air." He quickly walked around the bed and headed for the door, catching the disapproving stare from Inga as he went, and heard Amelia mutter under her breath before he left.

"Oh, _you _need some air, do you?"

* * *

Loki felt guilty for walking out on Amelia, but he really had needed some air. The atmosphere in the infirmary suite was thick and difficult to breathe, and on top of that, he definitely felt as though his presence had been nothing but irritating for Amelia, given how she had reacted to him. He wasn't proud of his urge to escape, but it hadn't felt right to stay put and continue having a silent struggle with his anxiety.

He stood now on a large open balcony, breathing in the crisp winter air which was much more his style, inhaling deep steadying breaths to try and control his fears. With one hand gripping the balcony railing, he used the other to drag down his face and groan. He must have looked pitiful from the outside.

He was a powerful Asgardian prince who had been waiting months in anticipation for the birth of his children, and now the day had come, he was practically paralysed with terror. No enemy or monster he had fought in the past had ever come close to leaving him quaking in his boots like he was now, not even facing Thanos was as nerve-wracking as watching Amelia go through labour.

He welcomed the breeze that brushed over him, staring down at the kingdom. The lower-class populace of Asgard were going about their day, likely unaware that Amelia had gone into labour, although news did spread quickly, so it was only a matter of time.

Some time after the birth they would head down into the city, so that the people of Asgard could look upon the faces of the new prince and princess, but not until they were a few months old and the weather had warmed up a little. Even if his children took after him and had a natural immunity to chilly weather, he felt it would be cruel to parade them around while it was still cold out, especially when the embracing warmth of the sun would be much more pleasant to feel upon their skin.

But first, Loki had to get through _today. _Or, if they were unlucky, the next _few _days.

"What are you doing out here?" Loki was surprised to hear Thor's disbelieving voice come from behind him, he had expected the King would be busying himself with his duties and preparing for the, ah, _arrival, _of the new royal children.

Loki sighed and told his brother the truth, "I couldn't breathe in there. I couldn't find a way to be useful either."

Thor approached and stood by his brother, staring him down with a cynical look, "Are you jesting? She's your wife and she's in labour! You need to be with her!"

"Inga said it could take days, I don't need to be with Amelia every second of it," Loki argued, trying to brush off Thor's accusatory words despite the fact that each syllable felt like a punch to the chest.

"If Amelia needs to be there for every second of it, I think you should too," Thor stated bluntly, a frown marring his face, "_really, _brother. Why are you out here? It's unlike you to leave Amelia alone when she obviously needs you by her side."

Loki clenched the balcony railing harder to stop his hands from shaking, "I'm not so sure she _did _want me by her side. She just seemed so prickly and dismissive whenever I tried to comfort her."

Thor looked sceptical, eyeing Loki with his mismatched eyes like he was some fool - it didn't help Loki's already peevish mood to have his bothersome brother telling him he was making a mistake when Thor didn't _understand _the situation.

"What makes you think she didn't want you there? Maybe she's just worried."

"She responded better to comfort from Inga than from me. She was giving me one-word answers when I asked if she was alright. She kept cutting me off when I tried to calm her when she was in pain from the contractions." Gripping the railing wasn't working to hide his shaky hands, so he crossed his arms instead.

Thor was quiet for a moment, tilting his head as he observed his brother's tense posture and rigid position, "Well, perhaps your attempt at comforting wasn't working because… you're also clearly terrified?"

"What?" Loki spat, glaring at his brother.

Thor raised his hands and smiled. "It doesn't take a genius to see that you're an anxious mess, Loki. And I don't blame you! I would be too if I had a wife in labour and twin babies on the way! But maybe Amelia doesn't need her husband buzzing with anxiety at her side while she's just as, if not more, frightened of what's to come."

"Exactly," Loki hissed, begrudgingly admitting his nervousness, "that's why I'm out here where I can't bother her."

"But she doesn't need that either," Thor argued, "she wants you by her side, but you need to be strong and supportive and you need to tell her, with confidence, that everything's going to be _fine."_

Loki looked at his brother, lips parted in surprise.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Loki? She was most likely antsy and irritated because she could sense your fear. You're allowed to be nervous, but if she's relying on you for assurance, you need to convince her that everything will be fine." Thor grabbed his brother by the shoulders, giving him a sympathetic smile, "I can't imagine exactly what you're feeling, as I've never been in the position you're in now, but… there must be some excitement under that fear somewhere, right? You'll soon be able to hold your children for the first time!"

A rush of adrenaline flooded through Loki at the thought, almost punching the breath out of his lungs in the process, and he let his gaze fall to his hands, which continued to tremble. He wondered if his hands would be steady when his newborn son or daughter was placed in his hold. He'd _have _to pull himself together at that point, he couldn't allow himself to hold his children if there was a chance he might drop one of them.

Loki swallowed and let out a breath, nodding his head, "Okay. I get it. I'm an idiot."

"Yes, an utter moron," his brother replied with a smirk, and then patted him on the back, "now go make the smart decision and return to your wife." Loki couldn't exactly argue with Thor when he knew he was right, and he left the balcony speedily without another word.

Loki rushed back through the palace corridors, paying the guards and servants no mind as he passed them by, though he certainly felt their curious stares on the back of his head - they'd probably never seen him looking so flustered before.

He reached the infirmary wing of the palace quickly, but before he could rush back into the royal suite, Inga exited the room and placed her hands on her hips upon spotting him across the hallway.

"I know," Loki said before Inga could open her mouth to speak, "I made a mistake. I'm back, I won't leave Amelia's side again."

"Good," Inga stated heavily.

"How is she?" Loki inquired.

"In pain, still. It's only been twenty-six minutes since her last contraction, which means they're becoming more frequent. I suggest you return to her side, and here's a word of advice, let her squeeze your hand, it'll help her through the pain." Inga stepped aside, motioning the door behind her, and Loki gave her a nod of acknowledgement as he passed her and entered the room.

The first thing he registered was the irked pout on Amelia's lips, and the second thing he noticed was her laboured breathing as she endured her current contraction, the bedsheet scrunched up in her balled fist. Loki quickly moved to her side, saving the crumpled linen from her grip and replacing it with his own hand.

He gave her an apologetic smile as he brushed a few strands of hair from her face, "I'm sorry I left. I just needed a moment to collect myself, but I'm back now. I want you to know that no matter what, I'm here by your side. You're so strong, Amelia, and I know everything is going to be just fine. If you need to, you can squeeze my hand."

His words seemed to distract her briefly from her labour pains, because she turned her gaze on him, looking into his eyes, and Loki could _see _the alleviation as her fears were assuaged just _slightly. _She squeezed his hand and leaned her head into his palm, finding a hint of contentment in his affection.

"Good," Amelia breathed, "cause if you leave again… I'll kick your butt," her so-called threat was interspersed by deep breaths, and Loki found himself smiling as he stroked her sweaty forehead.

"I honestly don't doubt it."

* * *

True to his word, Loki stayed by Amelia's side for the following eight hours, allowing her to hold his hand in her crushing grip when each contraction hit. Amelia found herself growing restless around the fifth hour and expressed her desire to stretch her legs, to which Loki was surprised. Nevertheless, he helped her off the bed so she could walk around, remaining practically plastered to her side as she slowly moved.

He was ready to catch her should she find herself doubling over in pain.

Amelia moved to the window, looking out at the beautiful kingdom, and let out a heaving sigh; she was clearly very tired already, which concerned Loki - they hadn't even gotten to the birthing yet and Amelia looked like she needed a good twenty-four hour nap. Loki had faith in her, though. She would deliver their babies and there wouldn't be any complications, Loki forced himself to believe it would all be fine, refusing to show a hint of hesitation when assuring Amelia, just as Thor had instructed.

The sights of Asgard worked to calm Amelia's nerves somewhat as the labour progressed, and around the seventh hour, one of the nurses surmised that they were in the final stretch. Amelia's contractions were a little over three minutes apart and far stronger in intensity; Loki was thankful when his wife finally accepted the pain relief tonic, which brought the crippling bouts of agony to something more moderate and manageable.

Loki could almost taste Amelia's dread as the moment grew closer and closer, and while he was feeling just as alarmed on the inside, he put on a brave face and gently squeezed Amelia's hand, letting her know that he would be there with her through every moment.

When Inga confirmed Amelia was ten centimetres dilated, everything seemed to suddenly speed up tenfold, and Loki practically performed a double-take when the healer explained it was time to start pushing with each new contraction. It was like whiplash - to go from eight hours of painful waiting for Inga to suddenly say '_alright, time to push' _\- and Loki most certainly felt his heart lurch in his chest.

It wouldn't be long now.

There were multiple nurses present among Inga, and Loki stayed back, well out of their way as they moved back and forth, focused and determined to do their job impeccably, because their task was of the utmost importance.

Loki put all of his attention on Amelia, carding his fingers through her hair with all the tenderness he could muster. "This is it, Amelia. We'll be able to hold them soon," he encouraged her with a smile, and it succeeded in bringing a grin to Amelia's face.

"I know, I can't wait," she whispered breathlessly.

"Alright, Amelia. On your next contraction, I want you to push, okay?" Inga instructed, and Amelia nodded enthusiastically, probably as a side-effect from the nerves and excitement all mixing into one.

Loki offered his hand again, "Don't hold back on the squeezing," he told his wife.

"I might break your hand," Amelia giggled nervously.

"I'd be impressed."

When the contraction hit, Loki swore never to underestimate his wife's strength ever again; his hand was caught in her crushing grip as she wailed, pushing relentlessly with all her might until one of the nurses told her to relax.

"You're doing brilliantly, Amelia," Inga praised, "I'll let you know when to push again."

Loki watched over his wife, stroking her hair gently as she inhaled and exhaled deeply, and her eyes met his. He knew, in that moment, that it really would all be fine, that his wife was an incredibly strong person, both physically and emotionally. It would be okay.

It was only a little over an hour later that their son was born. Contrary to the dragging time of the first stage of labour, the second stage seemed to go by in a flash, and the moment Loki heard the cry of their first newborn, his gaze tore from his wife to land on the tiny baby taking his first breath of air.

Everything else seemed to fade into the background as the baby's umbilical cord was cut and the boy was placed on Amelia's chest for her to finally meet him. Amelia was sweaty and red from pushing, and looked almost dazed as her hands went automatically to cradle her child; she took heaving breaths and blinked rapidly, staring down at the boy in disbelief.

"O-oh," she whispered, "baby, my baby."

The boy's cry was loud and high-pitched, cutting through the air like a shrill alarm, but it was practically music to Loki's ears. His son had been born. _His son had been born. _He knew it had been coming, and yet it still felt like a shock. Loki didn't know what to say, so he simply stared.

His son was smaller than Loki imagined he would be, but as he was born two weeks premature, it was really no wonder. The newborn was messy and coated with amniotic fluid, his little face scrunched up and his little arms flailing, and Loki was relieved to see that he was _not _blue. It was like a weight had been lifted. The boys skin was peachy pink, no hint of the cold hue anywhere to be seen.

Loki swallowed, and then noticed Amelia's lips moving. It took a moment to register her words.

"He's beautiful," she whispered, her shaky fingers brushing against the boy's tiny, rosy cheek.

Loki's mouth wobbled as he struggled to find words for a minute, "He… he is." There was no previous experience in his life that he could liken to the euphoria he felt in that moment. His fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and touch the boy, but he couldn't bring himself to move.

Amelia held him for just a few minutes before one of the nurses stepped up to her side with a soft, small blanket. "Congratulations, princess," the woman praised, "he's a beauty, just like his parents. I'm going to take him for a while so you can concentrate on bringing the other one into the world, but you'll have him back soon, I promise," her voice was soft and understanding, and Amelia realised the importance of letting the nurse wrap him up and take him away from her, because she relented.

But seeing the boy taken away before Loki had had the chance to properly _see_ him made his heart lurch longingly, and he stood from his chair, "Where are you taking him?"

The nurse cradled the bundled boy in her arms, "To be cleaned, weighed and examined to ensure he is in good health. It is an important process and it won't take long, my prince."

Loki slowly sat back down, his eyes never leaving the boy as he was taken to the adjoined room, at least not until he was out of sight.

"One to go, Amelia," Inga spoke, a smile on her face, "the second baby should come easier than the first. Are you ready to push again?"

Loki noticed for the first time that there were unshed tears in Amelia's eyes, he wondered if it was from the pain and strain of the birth or if holding their son had prompted her to cry.

"I'm ready," Amelia breathed. She was practically glowing with liveliness, the birth of her son having rejuvenated her completely, and Loki quickly took her hand again, disregarding any injuries he may sustain from Amelia's surprisingly shattering strength.

Twenty-four minutes after their son, their daughter was born.

Also not blue, Loki noted in the back of his mind, but the wash of relief that befell him was for other reasons - Amelia had done it. She had given birth to their twin children and she was okay. Utterly exhausted, but okay.

Much like the boy, their daughter's cry was piercing but welcomed, and Amelia cradled the child against her rapidly rising and falling chest as she came down from the adrenaline rush and entered a new high. She couldn't stop smiling, and it endeared her to Loki even more than ever before. It was quite a bewitching sight, made only better when the nurse returned with the boy, swaddled in a white blanket.

With his wife and newborn children before his eyes, Loki felt an overwhelming sense of joy, more powerful than anything he had felt in quite a while. It may very well be the happiest day of his life.

* * *

When the baby girl was brought back from being weighed and gently cleaned, Inga helped Amelia position them so they could be breastfed in unison. She was full of praise for the new mother, telling her over and over that she did such a great job and that the labour and birth went incredibly smoothly. Amelia was only half paying attention to the healer, but Inga seemed to understand why.

Amelia couldn't tear her eyes away from her babies, and on top of that she was very visibly bone-tired. The only thing keeping her awake after almost ten hours of labour was the desire to look upon her children and take in their sweet little faces as they fed.

Loki couldn't blame her. He could hardly look away from them either.

They were beautiful. Beyond beautiful. So small and in need of protection - protection that Loki would unerringly provide. He was full of pride and a deep urge to watch over his children, to make sure nothing bad ever happened to them. They deserved the world, and more.

With the two babies resting safely in her arms, the moment full of peaceful tranquility, Amelia sniffled and blinked as tears rolled down her face. Loki brushed her tears away with his thumb and quietly asked, "Are you alright?"

Amelia immediately smiled and bobbed her head in a reassuring nod, "I'm just so happy."

"As am I," Loki whispered in return, unwilling to break the serene moment with anything more than hushed words, and he grazed the back of his fingers over his daughter's thin, silken hair, afraid that any more pressure would somehow bring her harm.

After a short while, the boy unlatched from Amelia's breast, making a few soft gurgling noises as he settled, and Amelia looked to her husband knowingly.

"Do you want to hold him?" She asked.

Loki had wanted to hold them since the moment they were born, but at the same time, the thought filled him with trepidation. What if he wasn't tender enough? What if he hurt them with his rough, calloused hands?

"It's okay," Amelia assured him, as if reading his mind, "I know you could never hurt them."

Loki pulled his chair in closer and took a stabling breath, reaching for his son with surprisingly steady hands, and lifted the bundled child as carefully as he could. He didn't want to disturb the boy from his calm state, and almost froze when the newborn let out a quiet noise of dismay at being moved.

"Don't worry, he'll settle," Amelia spoke, smiling as she watched.

Loki repositioned the bundled boy to the crook of his elbow, using both arms to hold him securely before lowering to his seat, his wide eyes pinned to the infant. The boy whimpered, looking like he was gearing up to cry, and Loki looked imploringly to Amelia with wavering uncertainty in his gaze.

"Talk to him," Amelia suggested simply.

Swallowing his nerves, Loki lowered his eyes back to his son, "...It's alright, little one," he murmured, "I won't let any harm come to you."

A fresh wave of wonder rolled over him when the boy appeared to calm down once again, welcoming the arms of his father.

"You see?" Amelia spoke, sniffling with joy once again, "He recognises your voice."

"How?" Loki wondered, "This is the first time I spoke to him." He was still gripped with awe, half his attention fastened to the infant's face.

"You talked to them for months," Amelia pointed out with a grin, "like, every single night, you talked to my bump. They heard it."

Loki didn't know why, but the knowledge that his babies already knew his voice was enough to make his eyes wet. He observed his son's face, absorbing the sight of his chubby little cheeks and tiny button nose; the boy's eyes were closed now, but he had been blinking and looking around early, taking in his blurred surroundings, and Loki had been able to perceive just a hint of green in his irises, much like his own.

His hair appeared different to that of his sister's, still thin but wispy with a few notable curls instead of straight, the strands dark in colour. Loki couldn't quite discern whether the boy's hair was black, or dark brown like his mother's - it was late at night, and the only light present was dim from the oil lamps, but he figured he would find out when the sun rose the next morning.

The boy yawned, stretching his small mouth and letting out a slight squeak, and that was the point at which Loki wholly understood Amelia's joyful crying. A few tears squeezed out from the corners of his eyes, and he murmured a quiet 'oh' in acceptance of the feeling rushing through him. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried from _jubilation_, but he welcomed it.

"I think this one looks more like you," Amelia indicated their daughter, who was just finishing up feeding, "she has your nose, and your earlobes are totally the same."

"My nose and earlobes?" Loki parroted in amusement, wiping the wetness from his face with his sleeve. At first, he thought it was a silly comparison to notice so quickly, but then he realised he had subconsciously been thinking his son looked just like Amelia with his round face and the shape of his mouth.

"Yeah," Amelia snickered, "your handsomest features."

"Wow," Loki breathed, "I can't believe you married me just for my nose and earlobes."

Amelia threw her head back, stifling a cackle which turned into a snort, "You'd better believe it, babe."

Before long, both infants were fast asleep, warm and comforted in the arms of their parents, and Amelia spoke up after a long period of silence.

"We need to name them." It was something Loki knew had been coming, but he still felt a flutter of apprehension at the thought of struggling unsuccessfully for days to come up with two meaningful names for their beloved babies.

"Do you… have any ideas?" Loki enquired tentatively, hoping the was a resounding _yes._

Amelia smiled knowingly, which gave him hope, and she gazed up at the wall opposite them by the window, motioning the painted patterns on the surface with an upwards tilt of her head, "You see that floral pattern? Do you recognise the flower?"

Loki followed her gaze, picking out the flowers Amelia was referring to - small daisy-like blooms with many thin, purple petals, and he shook his head apologetically, "Will you enlighten me?"

"They're asters; in some cultures they're considered enchanted flowers that drive away evil, and they're often used as talismans of love and patience," she explained in hushed tones, "well, that's what I want to name our daughter. Aster."

The name was elegant and sweet. "Aster," Loki repeated, testing the name on his tongue, and decided at once that he loved it. The name was beautiful, just like their daughter, perfectly fitting. "It's perfect."

"Oh, good!" Amelia gasped. "I'm so glad you like it, cause that was the only name that kept coming to me," she giggled, "and what about you? Do you have any ideas for what we should name our son?"

Loki gulped, "I… don't really know."

Amelia tilted her head, "I named our daughter, so I think it's only fair you get to name our son."

Loki blinked rapidly as he tried to think, but his brain offered him absolutely nothing, "I don't know." It was a decision of great importance, and he didn't want to pick a name that didn't seem fitting enough.

"Loki, look at him," Amelia instructed, "just look at his face, and think."

He did as she told him, looking over the adoring face of his sleeping son. He looked so soothed and undisturbed, the sight was completely pacifying, and a part of Loki wished he could live in this blissful moment for the rest of his days.

"I… I don't…" Loki sighed, looking back up sheepishly, "Does the name have to begin with an 'A'?"

Amelia blinked, biting her lip so as not to laugh, "What? No, it doesn't have to begin with an 'A'."

"I just thought…" Loki felt his face flush as Amelia snickered, "You know, because everybody in your family had a name beginning with 'A', and you named her Aster, so I figured…"

"Purely coincidental," Amelia told him, grinning adorably, "It doesn't have to begin with 'A'. You can name him anything you want, love."

That knowledge opened up a whole new world of possibilities, so Loki once again looked upon the face of his son and put his mind to the task. The very first name that flickered into his mind was Leif. It had been the name his mind had supplied for his not-real son when he'd been lost in the delusions Thanos had put him under - it was a good name, meaning _beloved descendant, _but Loki couldn't bring himself to use the name for his _real _son. Not when it triggered the awful memories that had followed that point in his life.

Leif was off the table.

Various Norse names flashed through his head, but none of them seemed to stick with the infant's face. He imagined the right name would stand out immediately, that it would just feel unequivocally _right. _

He sighed in frustration, reaching with gentle fingers to stroke his son's head, eyeing the pretty wisps of dark hair that prompted a smile on Loki's face.

And then something came to mind.

Loki's eyebrows rose and he blinked, looking up at Amelia before back down to the boy, and his mouth hesitantly opened.

"Kari," he said quietly.

"Hm?" Amelia hummed.

"Kari." Loki repeated the name more firmly.

"Kari?"

"Yes."

Amelia tilted her head, looking down at her son, lips curling up at the edges, "Kari is a cute name," she approved, "but what does it mean?"

Loki let his fingertips glide through the thin hairs on his son's head, "It means _curly-haired."_

* * *

It was past four o'clock in the morning, the world outside was dark and the lamplight within the room was further dimmed, giving off just a soft orange glow in the room, enough for Loki to look upon the faces of his children. Kari was sleeping soundly in one of the cribs the nurses had brought in, swathed in the softest blanket with just his chubby round face visible, while Aster was just barely awake, squirming slightly in Loki's arms as he rocked her gently back and forth, lulling her into slumber.

No more than six hours old, and the two babies already had Loki wrapped around their tiny little fingers. He would do anything for them. His love for them was already immeasurable, and still growing with each passing moment.

Amelia was practically knocked out after the day she had had, lying motionless on the infirmary bed save for the rise and fall of her chest, and yet she had still fought her tiredness till the last moment. She had wanted to remain awake so she could be there for her newborns, but Loki had eventually persuaded her to lay her head down and go to sleep.

He'd promised to stay up and watch over them, wanting his wife to get as much rest as possible.

Aster had stirred a few minutes ago, making soft noises that steadily grew in volume, and Loki had picked her up carefully and held her close, whispering quietly to soothe her away from crying. It didn't take long for her to settle down, and once she did, Loki waited a good fifteen minutes before laying her back in her crib beside Kari's, content to simply hold her and watch her breathe for a while.

Loki stood over them, looking back and forth every so often when one of them would twitch slightly or coo in their sleep. It was so peaceful.

The quietest knock on the door drew Loki's awareness, and he forced himself to tear his attention away from his little ones. He padded towards the door and opened it excruciatingly slowly, trying to avoid the slight creak of the wood, peering curiously through the gap.

Thor stood there, looking both sheepish and full of excitement.

"I know I wasn't supposed to come until mid-morning," Thor began, his usually natural booming voice lowered to a mild murmur, "but I can't sleep and I just _really _want to see them."

As the babies had been born late at night, Inga had recommended no visitors until long after sunrise the next morning, just to offer Loki and Amelia some time alone with their newborn children, and Loki had assumed Inga had enforced that rule even on the king.

"Everyone's sleeping," Loki whispered, quirking up an eyebrow.

"Please? Just to see them. I won't be long." Thor was _begging_ to be allowed into the room, to which Loki gave an amused smile.

"You must be completely quiet. Aster is a light sleeper," Loki revealed, and Thor's eyes lit up brighter than the warm glow emanating from the room. The king nodded enthusiastically, clamping his lips shut to show he was prepared to be as silent as a mouse.

Loki opened the door unhurriedly and Thor slipped in. The king looked to Amelia first, smiling as she slept; Loki imagined Inga had probably told Thor exactly how the labour and birth had gone, so he knew just how exhausted Amelia must have been by the end of it.

When Thor crept up to the cribs, he covered his mouth to keep from loudly expressing his glee at the sight of the infants, and remained silently observing them for several minutes; Loki could see the rush of delight on his face as he took in the sight of his niece and nephew for the first time. Loki probably would have teased him about it if it wasn't for the fact that he'd had much the same response the moment they'd been born.

After a while, Thor opened his mouth, "Loki… they're beautiful."

"I know," the proud father responded.

"And- they're perfectly healthy, right?"

"Yes. Despite being born two weeks early, both are a healthy weight. Aster is five point eight pounds, and Kari is six point two pounds. No complications, everything went smoothly," Loki relayed, "I think Amelia could just about sleep for a whole week after yesterday."

"I'll bet," Thor grinned, "Can I hold them?"

Loki's eyebrows furrowed, "No, Thor. They're sleeping."

"_Right," _said Thor, "I meant, can I hold them _tomorrow?"_

"I'm not sure. We'll see." Loki shrugged cryptically, and Thor knew he was winding him up - at least he _hoped_ he was.

"Brother, this is truly a jovial occasion. The whole kingdom will be overjoyed when news of the birth gets out." Thor leant over Kari's crib, fighting the urge to reach in and brush a large finger against the boy's pudgy cheeks, "Prince Kari and Princess Aster, the new royal children of Asgard."

"Mmm," Loki hummed softly, "I… expect I'll be quite busy the coming weeks. I must warn you that the likelihood of me being able to attend every advisory meeting is relatively low."

Thor stifled a chuckle, "Understood, brother. I know where your priorities lie right now."

Silence fell for a while, where the only noise interspersed between the tranquil moments was the slight whistling of the wind outside - not loud enough to wake the children, thankfully - and the light of the oil lamps flickered through the darkness.

"Enjoy this moment, brother," Thor began, a knowing smile on his face, "I suspect it'll be the last instance of peacefulness for you for a while."

* * *

**And there we have it. The babies have been born into the world with a loving mama and papa and everything is well. I never planned on making things difficult for Amelia here, I wanted the birth to be quick and easy save for a little pain, because as you all well know, she's dealt with three fics full of angst xD**

**I hope everybody approves of the names. I'd known what to name the girl practically from before I even started this fic, but the boys name, Kari, actually didn't come to me until last week. I had ACTUALLY decided to name him Ari, but had a change of heart. I really like the names Aster and Kari, and I hope you do to.**

**Now, just in case anyone is disappointed that neither of the babies were blue... just hold your horses there and have faith that I do have plans to write something about that ;) Hopefully you'll be satisfied when that time comes.**

**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: If anyone has ideas to share for things they wanna see with mama!Amelia and dad!Loki then PLEASE TELL ME, because while I have a few ideas, such as first steps and first words etc, I do want to extend this fic as much as possible so everybody gets a wonderful amount of Loki and Amelia being parents, and the best way for that to happen is to write based on ideas any of you might have! I definitely want to write as many chapters as I can from here on out, and I am fully open to incorporate anything you want to see happen in this fic!**

**Finally: I friggin love you all, your comments literally make me so BEYOND happy and I can't wait to see what everyone thinks of this chapter!**


	17. These Sleepless Nights Are Welcomed

**I love writing dad Loki. I love it so much.**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Seventeen: These Sleepless Nights Are Welcomed

The first few nights after the birth of Aster and Kari were, predictably, restless.

The cribs were moved into Loki and Amelia's bedroom so that it would be easy for either of them to get up and see to the needs of their newborns as soon as the babies woke from their slumber, but it meant that the moment either of the children were disturbed from their sleep, their piercing cries awoke everybody in the room.

It was unavoidable and expected, and given that every two to three hours, both babies needed to feed, Amelia rose from the bed like clockwork the moment she heard even a whimper. However, that didn't mean that they babies woke every two to three hours - in fact, they woke more like every hour or so, to which Loki had to tell Amelia to lay down and go back to sleep, and that he would deal with the babies until they next had to feed.

Still, it was difficult to get back to sleep while she could consistently hear her children fussing as Loki tried to calm them down just across the room.

Amelia had noticed that Kari was definitely louder than his sister, Aster. He was the one that had no problems waking his parents up just as they managed to relax into a deeper sleep, and he did so with powerful lungs. His sister was a little more reserved, and only tended to cry when her brother did so for more than a few minutes, otherwise she was often quiet. While it was interesting that Amelia had noted these differences, she couldn't help but just see it as anything but bothersome in her sleep-deprived state.

It was exhausting, and it quickly overwhelmed Amelia to the point where she teared up out of fatigue one morning after the sun had risen and Loki had gently shaken her awake about half an hour after she'd finally fallen asleep.

"Sorry, my love," Loki quietly apologised, "if you need to, you can sleep a while longer before we get up for breakfast."

"No, it's okay," Amelia sniffled, wiping her eyes with embarrassment as she pulled herself together. She felt rather bashful about her upset state, because it wasn't like she hadn't anticipated that she would be unable to sleep for the first month or two after the birth. That was just the price to pay for a new parent. "They're probably going to need feeding soon, anyway."

Loki sighed, "It's a shame I can't feed them."

Amelia gave a soft chuckle at that, "If we'd brought the breast pump we left in Manhattan, you _would _be able to."

Loki looked at her for a moment, "I could return to Avengers Tower and pick it up. It wouldn't take long."

Amelia blinked. She hadn't even considered the idea.

"If… if you can, yeah. At least then we could take turns feeding them." The breast pump could likely be a game-changer, it was a good thing they purchased it when they did.

"I'll pick it up before noon," Loki promised, leaning down to press a kiss to Amelia's lips, before a soft whimpering sounded from the other side of the room.

"Right on time," Amelia remarked quietly, preparing to get up once again.

"You relax, I'll see to them," Loki said, giving her another quick kiss on her cheek before slipping out of bed and pulling on his silk robe. Amelia laid her head back on her pillow, watching her husband through the translucent curtain hanging from the bed frame; she didn't expect she'd be able to fall back to sleep, but it was sweet that Loki was trying to give her a few more winks.

"Hey, you," Loki murmured softly as he leant over Kari's crib, reaching first to brush his finger over the baby boy's cheek, a tender reminder that he wasn't alone and that his dad was there for him.

Aster had woken from her brother's noisiness, but had yet to start crying. Amelia could see her wriggling in her crib within the blanket swaddle like a little adorable caterpillar, so unless Loki gave her a little comfort as well, she would surely begin whimpering soon enough, and then he'd have two crying babies on his hands.

"You need to quieten down, little one. Your mother is trying to sleep," Loki spoke gently, lifting Kari out of his crib to rest him in the crook of his arm, before he began to lightly rock the boy back and forth, and peered down into Aster's crib to check on her. "Why are you crying, hmm? Are you hungry or do you need changing? Are you scared? Or perhaps you're just grumpy because the sun woke you up?"

The way he spoke to them was absolutely wonderful and filled Amelia with delight. For the longest time, only Amelia had known the softer side of Loki, the side he often refused to show even to the other Avengers, and now there were two more little objects of affection in his life, which meant he may not be able to completely hide it any longer. Sooner or later, he'd have to show his adoring, caring side in front of somebody he would usually conceal it from.

Soon enough, Aster was crying alongside her brother, and Loki was stuck in the middle of trying to soothe two infants. He looked back and forth between them, quietly shushing them in the hopes that they would find the noise calming, but no such thing occurred. Loki peered apologetically over his shoulder back at Amelia with a hint of imploration in his gaze, to which she laughed.

She'd seen it coming.

Amelia dutifully got out of bed and sat in the armchair close to the cribs, preparing to breastfeed her babies yet again. She still needed Loki's help positioning the babies for when they needed to be fed together, but Amelia was definitely falling into the habit of regular feeds, even when she had to sacrifice her sleep for it.

Once both infants were comfortably nursing, Amelia looked over their angelic faces and let out a sigh. Kari and Aster were worth losing sleep over, because when she absorbed the sight of their innocent, wide-eyed expressions as they drank their milk, Amelia felt nothing but love fill her heart.

They both had pretty, matching green eyes that they had inherited from their father, and it just made them all the more beautiful. She couldn't wait to watch them grow into wonderful people.

"She's looking at you," Loki pointed out as he sat across from Amelia on the recliner, leaning forward to inspect Aster's face. The infant was indeed staring up at her mother, and it was a struggle for Amelia not to let out a squeal of pure happiness; usually the babies' eyes wandered aimlessly around the room because their vision was mostly blurry so soon after being born, but occasionally when they seemed to momentarily focus on a particular shape, and when that shape just so _happened _to be Amelia's face, it sent her heart absolutely soaring through the roof.

It was simply a reminder that she and Loki had created two gorgeous, living, breathing beings that they both loved unconditionally.

"I love you, Aster," Amelia whispered. She looked forward to the day those green eyes would light up in comprehension of those few words.

* * *

When Loki returned from picking up the breast pump, Aster was fast asleep and Amelia was cuddling a sleepy but still conscious Kari, and Amelia couldn't help but notice that her husband looked a little ruffled upon entering the room, his face looking a little fed up.

"What's wrong?" Amelia asked with a quirked eyebrow, and Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head, an expression that was usually completely subtle, but in this case it was all too clear; he placed the box on the table and slumped back down on the recliner, running a hand down over his face.

"They practically swarmed me when I arrived at the Tower," Loki groaned, and Amelia didn't have to ask to know who he was talking about. The Avengers hadn't been entirely happy when they learned they wouldn't get to see the babies until Amelia and Loki moved back into the Tower when the infants were at least three months old, so it stood to reason that the moment they saw Loki, they'd bombard him with questions. "They wanted to know everything, how the labour went, how the babies were, what they looked like, what it was like being a new father. I told them I was just there to pick something up, but they wouldn't leave me alone."

Amelia giggled, "It's because they care. They're just curious and they wanna see these little sweetpeas," she placed a kiss on Kari's forehead, watching as he blinked slowly - it was becoming harder and harder for him to keep his eyes open.

The baby boy wasn't the only one who was visibly tired. Loki had laid down on the recliner, cushioning his head on the puffy pillow, his eyes just slightly glazed. The sleepless few nights hadn't only been taking a toll on Amelia, Loki was also lacking energy, which really said something given his biology allowed him to go longer than a human without needing sleep. Hopefully their new arrangement of taking turns feeding would make things easier.

It was put to the test that night, after Amelia had pumped a few bottles worth of milk over the course of the day intermittently between feeds, when Amelia found herself rousing from sleep at the sound of mild crying which would soon grow louder if unseen to. She pushed herself up habitually, but Loki was already awake beside her, and gently pushed her back down, giving her cheek a loving kiss.

"You sleep, I'll settle them," he promised, sounding oddly excited, and Amelia gave an unintelligible moan in response, barely conscious enough to register Loki's exact words, and fuzzy enough that she easily fell back asleep within a couple of minutes.

Until she was awoken by the telltale sound of one of the babies rousing from slumber, the steadily growing almost-cry that sent off an alarm in her brain that screamed _get up, it's time to feed them, _and rolled over to look through the curtain. Amelia wasn't sure how long it had been since Loki had gotten up initially, but he was still over by the cribs, in the process of picking up the child that was whimpering for attention, a bottle already prepared in hand.

Perhaps she had merely blacked out for a few minutes, but Loki looked like he could handle it, so Amelia rested her head back and let sleep take her once again.

The next time she woke up, it was morning and Loki wasn't lying beside her.

A sudden jolt ran through her due to the sudden realisation that she hadn't woken to feed the babies all night, and Amelia worriedly clambered across the bed to peer through the curtain over at the cribs. Loki was lounged across the recliner with a book in hand, resting his head in his palm as he read, and on the table Amelia could see the empty bottles she had filled up with milk the previous day.

Loki must have fed the children every time they woke up hungry. Amelia frowned in puzzlement, she had thought they were going to take turns.

"How long have you been up?" Amelia asked quietly, mindful that the babies were still very much asleep.

Loki looked around, "A while," he answered, "how did you sleep, love?"

"Uh, very well, apparently," was her curious reply, "I was under the impression we were gonna go back and forth with feeding them?"

Loki shrugged slightly, giving a subtle smile, "Well, you were exhausted. Midgardians tire much more easily than Asgardians, I thought it fitting to give you a break. Plus, I like feeding them," he admitted.

Amelia appreciated that her husband was looking out for her, and she found it very sweet that he enjoyed giving the babies their bottles, but she didn't want _Loki _to run his energy levels dry ensuring she got a full night's sleep, "Just remember that we're doing this together, so if you get sleepy, it's my turn, okay?"

"Of course," Loki stood, shaking his head dismissively, "it's no matter. I can go more than a week without sleeping, anyway. I like… watching over them," he said, gravitating closer to the cribs that their children were currently occupying, blissfully unaware of the world around them.

While the thought of several full nights of sleep was lovely, she didn't want Loki to stay up seven days and nights in a row for her sake, "We'll take turns tonight, okay?" She tried, hoping not to shovel all of that responsibility onto her husband.

"Mm, sure."

Loki didn't appear to be listening to her. He was very quickly engaged with the sleeping infants, too taken with observing them as they slept, which was terribly endearing. He was attentive with their needs and had already begun to decipher the subtle differences in their cries that explained whether they were hungry, needed changing, or just wanted attention. Amelia chalked it up to his finely-tuned hearing, and figured it would naturally take her a little longer to interpret Kari and Aster's crying correctly.

That night, yet again, Loki got up every time the children roused. Amelia woke long enough to witness her husband gently rocking Kari, looking down at him like the little bundle was the sun, stars and moon all in one. Even in her haze, Amelia felt the rush of wholesome adoration at the scene before her, shortly before dropping off the sleep once more.

The next few nights proceeded in a similar fashion. Loki vehemently volunteered to be the sole carer for the babies during the night, awarding Amelia the gift of restful sleep at the expense of his own energy.

Amelia could see that it was beginning to affect him - he was beginning to display that drowsy look every so often, as if his body was begging him to just rest his eyes for a few moments, before he blinked himself out of it. Eventually, Amelia had had enough of letting Loki deprive himself of rest.

She got out of bed one morning, padding over to the recliner Loki had taken to sitting on whenever he wanted to look over Kari and Aster, and tapped his shoulder, knocking him out of his foggy stupor. His head had been hanging forward as he leant with his elbows on his knees, practically asleep already in an uncomfortable position; he straightened up at the contact, to which Amelia smiled and kissed his forehead.

"You need sleep, go to bed," she told him, and Loki rolled his eyes, refuting her words with a shake of his head.

"I'm fine, I'm awake."

"You weren't a few seconds ago. You haven't slept for days, at least go take a quick nap."

"No, it's okay, I don't need to."

Amelia quickly grew frustrated with her husband's stubbornness, "Look, go take a half hour nap, and then we'll go for breakfast, alright?" She'd added a little firmness to her voice, and Loki gazed up at her momentarily, blinking slowly, before relenting.

"Fine… half an hour," he finally agreed, pushing himself up. He gave Amelia a loving kiss that lasted several delightful seconds, and then smiled tiredly at her before making his way to the cushioned bed. He all but collapsed upon it, and Amelia heard his breathing even out within minutes.

She quickly dressed herself and, with the help of a very quiet servant, took the babies down to the throne room so that she could eat breakfast and breastfeed the babies without waking her enervated husband.

* * *

Amelia expected a few hours would pass, and then Loki would rejoin her - perhaps a little disoriented and grumpy for being lied to - and they could continue to go about their day as usual, caring for their infants. So it was somewhat of a surprise when almost the entire day passed before Loki showed his face again.

The prince managed to get a full nine hours of sleep before awakening, probably in a panic to the sight of an empty bedroom. Amelia had found it lightly amusing when Loki rushed into the throne room during the late afternoon banquet, still dressed in his flowing green robe, hair crinkled and unbrushed, in a pretty flustered state. He did appear a little more alert than this morning, however.

Amelia was in the middle of enjoying her meal. She'd been awarded a break from watching the two tiny tots by herself thanks to Thor, Inga and Signy, who had all offered to entertain the infants while she ate. Glancing up at her ruffled husband, she smiled, "Sleep well, Loki?"

"You lied to me," Loki pointed out flatly, "you said you'd wake me up after half an hour."

Amelia popped a grape into her mouth, chewed and swallowed, and spoke, "I do believe I never said anything about waking you up. You slept as long as you needed. That's what happens after you stay up for a whole week looking after our children instead of sensibly splitting the parenting tasks with me." Her smile turned self-satisfied at the pouty expression Loki rapidly covered up.

Amelia followed Loki's gaze to Signy, who sat just to her right, happy at the sight of the Asgardian woman playing peek-a-boo with a very animated Kari. The boy was wide awake, unlike during the other eighteen or so hours of the day, and he wriggled his little arms and legs energetically when Signy pulled her hands away from her face and said '_boo!'_

Then, Loki turned to Thor and Inga, who were sitting near the head of the long table, and he fastened his robe a little more securely before marching over to his brother with a firm expression on his face, endeavouring to look as intimidating as he could while in his current attire.

"You know, brother," Thor began when he saw the other approaching, "your daughter is very strong for one her size." The infant had her hand wrapped tightly around Thor's index finger and didn't seem to be relenting her hold.

There was a hint of something in Loki's expression that looked almost… jealous? Like he was envious of any moment his children spent being held by anybody else. Amelia couldn't really understand why Loki could possibly be jealous because of that, but Loki was a complex individual with complex emotions, so she had learned there were some occasions where attempting to figure him out would be a waste of time.

"Well, I think I'll be taking her back now. She's missing her father." Loki took his daughter back from Thor, to the latter's dismay, somehow convincing Aster to release the king's finger, and cradled her in his arms. It was clear to everybody present that Aster had been perfectly content in her uncle's care, Loki wasn't fooling anyone. Aster quickly transferred her impeccable grip to Loki's finger instead, and he sent his brother a smug look.

"What's that, Aster?" Loki questioned curiously, before proceeding to lean down like the infant was whispering something furtively into his ear, "You think Uncle Thor smells awful? Well, that's a very impolite thing to point out, but… I can't say I disagree."

Amelia snorted at the childish act, running a hand down her face. At least her husband wasn't dead on his feet anymore. Perhaps that night, she'd be able to convince him to take turns with the kids.

* * *

**More cute chapters to come! I'm particularly looking forward to first words ;)**

**If you're excited for more, leave a comment!**


	18. A Spectre in the Night

**The comments in the last chapter made me so happy, I read them all and I loved them. Thank you so much everybody who continues to read, support and comment. You are all so wonderful. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was lovely to write ;)**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Eighteen: A Spectre in the Night

Amelia drifted awake to a dark room.

It was probably around two o'clock in the morning, the bedroom was still relatively warm from the fire Loki had kindled several hours earlier, just before they'd settled into bed for the night, and it instilled a sense of serenity, allowing Amelia to snuggle a bit more firmly against her husband's side without losing the haze of sleep in her mind.

That was, until Amelia realised what had woken her up in the first place.

There was a soft melodic humming noise floating through the room, the lulling notes almost sweet enough to coax Amelia back into her dreams, but the realisation that it couldn't possibly be Loki, as he was asleep right beside her, was enough to pull her out of her tired daze and into the real world.

She held her breath as a sort of fear response, ears fine-tuning to the crooning that was catching on the air. Her first thought was that it was clearly a woman's voice, and her second, more assuring thought was that it could be Signy or Inga, but her third thought, which was the most lucid of all, told her there was no way either of the Asgardian sisters would wander into the prince and princess's royal chambers at this time of night.

Amelia did not recognise the voice.

With her breath still caught firmly in her lungs, she moved ever so slowly, lifting her head to peer around the room in search for the source.

There, through the curtains hanging from the bedpost, Amelia spotted the silhouette of a figure standing over the babies cribs. Immediately, the breath trapped in Amelia's lungs rushed out in the form of a horrified gasp. There was somebody _in the room._ Somebody unknown. And they were watching the children.

In a wave of motherly panic, Amelia pushed the covers back and scrambled to the edge of the mattress, not even wasting a fraction of a second to put her feet into her slippers before staggering up and rushing around the side of the bed.

As the corner bedpost zipped past her field of vision, the mysterious figure seemed to just disappear, causing Amelia to halt in her tracks, the adrenaline still rushing through her now-confused mind. She was sure she hadn't been imagining it, there _had _been someone there.

Amelia took a few hesitant steps forward, approaching the cribs to peer in and check that her babies were safe and sound.

Kari was asleep, as still as a stone, but Aster was awake. Her big eyes looked aimlessly around, probably lacking any clarity in the darkness of the room - Amelia could only just really see due to the low moonlight seeping through the windows - but it was proof enough for Amelia to grow confident she had definitely seen somebody. It couldn't have been a trick of the eye.

Aster was a light sleeper. Whoever or whatever had woken her up was the same thing that woke Amelia.

She reflexively reached down and picked Aster out of the crib, holding the baby close to her chest just to double check that she was truly alright, and in the same movement, she called Loki's name, trying to be loud enough to wake her husband, but quiet enough not to wake Kari.

After a few hushed attempts, Loki roused, pushing himself up into a sitting position slowly.

"What's wrong?" He asked tiredly, rubbing his eyes.

"Loki, I think there's someone in here." The words tumbled from Amelia's mouth, the anxiety explicit in her words, to which Loki seemed to become more alert. He shifted, quickly rising from the bed as he glanced around the room as Amelia had done.

"Where?" He asked, the sleepy rasp now missing from his throat as his tone now revealed nothing but seriousness. He walked first to Amelia's side, one hand protectively on her upper arm, the other on Kari's crib as he checked the infants over just briefly.

"I- I don't know," Amelia whispered, shaking her head, "I woke up and I saw them standing right here- but when I got up they were gone!"

"Shh, shh," Loki hushed and instructed her, "stay by the cribs."

With that, he stepped away, checking the closer side of the room that was by the door; he inspected every dark corner with his superior vision, checking everywhere that somebody could reasonably hide, and while he did this Amelia eyed the rest of the room, ready to alert Loki at the first sign of movement.

She was surprised Kari had still managed to sleep his way through the commotion, and that Aster was very unbothered by everything, chewing absent-mindedly on the material of Amelia's sleep clothes. Perhaps she was hungry, but Amelia didn't want to feed her until she was sure she was safe in the room.

Fearlessly, Loki knelt and checked under the bed before examining the rest of the room and the connected bathroom. Finally, he pressed his eyes to the window of the balcony, surveying it for intruders. He eventually took a step back with a sigh, "There's no one here, Amelia."

"Loki, I saw somebody," Amelia repeated firmly, "I know I'm not mistaken."

Loki frowned and crossed the room, opening the door of their chambers to address the night guards that stood watch, "Has anybody come through these doors since we entered last night?"

"Nobody, my prince," Amelia heard one of them respond confidently. Loki nodded and closed the doors, making his way back to Amelia's side.

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, love?"

Amelia felt herself pout, "No, I _saw_ her Loki! She was standing here, I wasn't dreaming!"

"Her?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

"It was a woman," Amelia told him, "I could hear her humming, that's what woke me up. And when I came over, Aster was awake too, so the woman _must _have woken her up."

Loki didn't look entirely like he believed her, which made Amelia want to cry, because now she was beginning to worry. She was certain she saw somebody. She couldn't have been dreaming, because she had still heard and seen the woman when she was up on her feet, and Amelia definitely did not have a history of sleep-walking.

"What if they can go invisible? Like you?" Amelia questioned with rising fear, glancing over her shoulder with paranoia. The woman could be standing right next to her and she wouldn't know.

"Unlikely. The few magic-users in Asgard cannot hold the spell as efficiently as I can, and if there _was _anybody in here using a shrouding spell, I would sense them. There's no one here, Amelia," he repeated the words he thought to be assuring, but Amelia couldn't accept them.

Shaking her head, Amelia mumbled, "What about ghosts? Are ghosts real? Could it be a ghost?"

"Amelia," Loki sighed, "just calm down. Nothing is going to harm you or the children. You're fine."

Aster interrupted with a gurgle, a sure sign that she wanted her parents to quit talking and start feeding her, and Amelia looked down at her with a frown before shaking her head slightly, "I'm not going to be able to get back to sleep tonight." Not while there was a possibility that the mysterious woman could come back.

Loki tilted his head, eyebrows raised incredulously, "If you are truly that shaken, I can stay up and watch over you all. You must rest. But I'm telling you, Amelia… there is nobody in here but you and I, and the babies." He brushed Amelia's hair back behind her ear and touched her arm comfortingly, pleading for her to return to bed and put her worry aside.

Amelia sighed, gave the room one last suspicious glance, and then relented. She fed her daughter, who quickly fell back asleep as soon as her tummy was full, placed her back in the crib, and slipped back into bed while Loki sat up against the headboard and let his fingers trail through her hair as he opened up one of the books on his side table and began reading.

* * *

Loki kept his word and was still awake when Amelia blinked her eyes open the next morning; she felt bad for prompting her husband to stay up the whole night, especially after the week prior, just because she was scared of the figure she had seen. In the comfort of sunlight, Amelia began to doubt that she'd even seen somebody at all. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, just a shadow of something that was caught in the moonlight, and her sleep-addled mind had warped it into something it wasn't.

"Sorry for freaking out last night," Amelia quietly apologised to her husband, "I'm kinda embarrassed."

Loki smiled her way, indicating that he wasn't bothered, and leant down to kiss his wife's forehead, "It's okay. You'll be pleased to know I didn't see anybody wandering around our room for the rest of the night."

"Good."

On cue, Kari woke up with what began as a quiet whimpering, and Amelia pulled herself up, padding around over to the crib, "Ohh, is my little boy hungry?" She pulled the boy from his crib and cuddled him, to which he calmed down a little, "Don't you worry, I've got some tasty milk for you, just as soon as I get you changed."

While Amelia was meeting Kari's needs, Aster roused from sleep and Loki dutifully picked her up and held her close to his chest, cradling her head gently in his palm.

"Hello little flower," Loki greeted his daughter gently. It was an adorable little pet name that Amelia wholly approved of, "how are you this morning?" Aster was silent in return, but happily squeezed her dad's finger within her whole fist when it was offered.

Once Kari was all cleaned up, Amelia fed him till he was happy and full, and then laid him on the bed so that she could play with him. Playing with the nearly two-week old baby mostly consisted of lightly pinching his little cheeks, waving his arms around and singing nursery rhymes to the boy.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are," Amelia sang, moving her head back and forth with each word. Kari may not have known what she was singing, but he was soothed by the tune of the song. His little green eyes gazed widely up at her and Amelia grinned in return.

Their eyes were both so pretty, just like her husband's.

On the last note of the song, Amelia booped the boy on the nose, enjoying the aimless cooing noises she got in return from the infant. After a while, Amelia looked back up to Loki, endeared to find him swaying back and forth with Aster as if slow-dancing with the baby.

Amelia couldn't fathom why Loki ever thought he would be a bad father. He was a natural. If Amelia had had a father who cared one tenth the amount Loki did, she wouldn't have been relieved when the old man finally bit the dust. Aster and Kari would grow up knowing the love of a father, which was something neither Amelia nor Loki were ever afforded themselves.

She hummed as she stroked Kari's head, fingers trailing the light wisps of curly hair, and brushed the back of her fingers down the tiny boy's cheeks, being ever so gentle with him. It was such a sweet, calming moment, and Amelia knew she would remember it forever.

Having a family of her own was the greatest thing that had ever happened to her.

"What is that?"

Loki's voice cut through the atmosphere in an almost accusatory way, which gave Amelia some metaphorical whiplash given her husband looked so staggered for some reason.

"Huh?" Amelia replied dumbly.

"What are you singing?"

Amelia blinked, "Uh… Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?"

"No," Loki clarified, an odd look on his face, "What were you humming? Just now?"

It was almost a struggle to recall, even though the melody had just been falling from her lips, and she stared blankly into nothingness for a few moments before admitting, "I don't know?" Really, the melody had just sort of floated into her head, she didn't know where it had come from.

"Did Thor teach you that song?" Loki probed, his gaze burning into Amelia's in a way that took her aback.

"Wha? No. I don't know, I just made it up, I think."

"No, you didn't," Loki stated firmly, "It's a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me when I was a child."

Amelia's mouth fell open in surprise, "Oh-oh, well… I must have heard it being sung by someone in the palace-"

"No," Loki hurriedly corrected, "It's not a well known song." His voice sounded strained and he looked confused, and honestly Amelia didn't blame him. He had stopped swaying with Aster and was now standing rigid in place while the child rested her head against his shoulder. "It was a song from an old book that belonged to my mother. I've asked around and it seems the book unfortunately perished when Asgard went up in flames. It doesn't make sense how you could possibly know it."

Amelia frowned, deflating a little. She looked curiously down at Kari and wiggled his feet, searching her memory for any hint as to why the tune had come to her. She hummed it again, the melody so crisp and clear in her mind that she found it odd she couldn't immediately recall where she knew it from.

And then it hit her.

Amelia froze, still holding onto Kari's little feet, and her mouth hung open as she straightened up and looked back at her husband. She swallowed, and then murmured, "Last night, Loki."

"What?"

"Last night. The woman that was here. She was humming the tune," Amelia explained carefully.

Loki's face was blank as he stared at her, but Amelia could tell that his mind was spinning from the look in his eyes. The only noise audible was Kari's babbling.

"What are you implying?" Loki finally asked.

"I'm not implying anything. I'm just telling you the truth, last night there definitely _was _someone here, and either somebody else in the palace knows that song, or-"

"Or?" Loki was getting emotional, that much was obvious, and Amelia tilted her head and sighed.

"Or maybe it was your mother."

"She's dead," Loki was quick to point out.

Amelia knew Loki's head and heart were struggling with each other. Obviously, he'd like to believe his mother had come and sung the old lullaby he knew so well, but the logical side of his mind told him that couldn't possibly be true, because she was in Valhalla.

Shaking her head, Amelia softly suggested, "Perhaps she found a way to visit?" Although the figure had given her a scare that night, Amelia felt now that perhaps they were not ill-intentioned. The woman had simply sang to the babies by their cribs. Why would a random Asgardian break in just to sing to the children?

Loki looked like he wanted to dismiss the idea, but he hesitated, pondering the likelihood of the notion. "If that were true, why did she wait until now to visit?"

Amelia read between the lines of his query, knowing the true question he was asking was '_why wouldn't she visit me?' _and beckoned him over with her hand. He approached the bed, laying Aster down next to her brother, and sat on the edge of the mattress, gazing at his family. Amelia laid her hand over his, giving it a slight squeeze and offered him a small smile.

"Maybe she wanted too. Maybe she's not _allowed _to be here and was being sneaky? Maybe it's dangerous for her to be here," Amelia shook her head, letting excuses slip from her throat in order to urge Loki not to make assumptions, "Perhaps she only _just _discovered how, and plans to visit again. Or perhaps she already has visited you, and you just didn't know it."

Loki seemed to contemplate Amelia's words.

"Or… maybe it wasn't her, and I really was just dreaming. Perhaps I did hear Thor humming the song, and I picked it up subconsciously." Amelia was sure she had heard the song from the lips of that mysterious woman, but she didn't want to give Loki false hope if it really just was a fabrication of her mind.

The twins wriggled in place, limbs moving rather excitably, and Amelia wondered whether all newborns were supposed to be so animated or if it was just hers that had an abundance of energy every so often.

Loki sunk down and laid across the bed, propping himself up with his elbow as he lightly tickled Aster's belly, seemingly calmed by the enthusiasm of both babies.

"If it truly was her… I am glad she got to meet Kari and Aster. She always wanted grandchildren."

Amelia smiled, warmed by her husband's words and joined him so that the babies were lying between them. She leaned in and nuzzled Kari's face with her nose, peppering little kisses to his cheek, delighted by the happy coo she received in return.

"Loki?" Amelia asked.

"Hm?"

"Can you sing the lullaby?" She honestly expected her husband to scrunch his nose up at her and vehemently deny the request as Amelia had never really heard Loki sing before, and assumed he was rather against the idea.

But to her surprise, Loki gave her a sheepish smile after a minute and rolled his eyes playfully, "If you insist."

Amelia immediately directed both of her ears in Loki's direction, waiting eagerly for the moment the first note left his lips.

When he began, his voice was rich and warm like it was drizzled in melted chocolate, and it instantly made Amelia fall even more in love with him, "_On younger mountain-side a vine clings at the foot of a mother pine," _he sang it with such gentleness that Amelia felt as though she was laying on a cloud, "_The tree bends over the trembling thing, and only the vine can hear her sing. Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep."_

Amelia noticed only after a little while that the babies had stopped their rowdy flailing and appeared to be listening to their daddy's song, hanging off of every word with eyes that were just beginning to droop.

"_What shall you fear when I am here?" _Loki smiled as he sang to them, likely finding joy in the revelation that they found the song as calming as he did. "_Sleep, little one, sleep."_

* * *

**Huehuehuehue, I was a little ambiguous and left it as a mystery - was it really Frigga coming to meet her grandchildren or did Amelia dream the encounter? ;)**

**That lullaby, by the way, is an absolutely gorgeous poem written by Eugene Field. It is literally called "Norse Lullaby" and this is the words of the entire poem:**

_**The sky is dark and the hills are white**_  
_**As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night,**_  
_**And this is the song the storm-king sings,**_  
_**As over the world his cloak he flings:**_  
_**"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"**_  
_**He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:**_  
_**"Sleep, little one, sleep."**_

_**On yonder mountain-side a vine**_  
_**Clings at the foot of a mother pine;**_  
_**The tree bends over the trembling thing,**_  
_**And only the vine can hear her sing:**_  
_**"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;**_  
_**What shall you fear when I am here?**_  
_**Sleep, little one, sleep."**_

_**The king may sing in his bitter flight,**_  
_**The tree may croon to the vine to-night,**_  
_**But the little snowflake at my breast**_  
_**Liketh the song I sing the best,-**_  
_**Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;**_  
_**Weary thou art, anext my heart**_  
_**Sleep, little one, sleep.**_

**I love it so much and I HAD to include it. :P **

**Anyone have any ideas on what the next chapter could be about? I have a list of chapter ideas I'm going to write but I'm always accepting new ideas and it's helpful for ensuring I get everything in the right order :D**


	19. Sprouting Dispositions

**Time is passing, slowly but surely. These babies are gonna grow up so fast :') I can't wait till they're speaking their first words and taking their first steps!**

**Thank you for your comments in the last chapter, they made me very happy as always!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Nineteen: Sprouting Dispositions

Amelia found it hard to believe it had been a full month since the birth of her children. It felt as though hardly a week had passed, yet time had zoomed on by, and it seemed as though the babies were growing so quickly. They were slightly bigger, both had put on more than a pound in weight, much to Inga's delight, and their limbs were just a little longer.

Their faces had changed too. Their eyes were brighter and wider, and their hair had grown in just a tad more, appearing darker. They were beautiful, as always.

It wasn't just the physical side of them that had grown. Their personalities were starting to become apparent as well. Amelia had already known that Kari was the fussier of the two, made clear from the fact that he spent most of his conscious time crying for attention, whereas Aster was calmer, she cried less often and wasn't overly desperate to be held on the near constant basis that Kari was.

Inga assured both Amelia and Loki that it was normal for Kari to be as fussy as he was, especially now that he was entering his second month of life, and that it was Aster who was a bit of an oddball for displaying a lot less distress than to be expected. The Asgardian healer also surmised that it didn't necessarily mean anything was wrong with the baby girl, and that maybe Amelia and Loki were just lucky not to have _two _constantly screaming infants. It didn't bother Amelia one way or the other. She loved her babies equally and she knew Loki did too.

It became a sort of routine for Amelia to sing to Kari most evenings and mornings while Loki was changing Aster and preparing her for bed, or for the day ahead. She sang anything that came to mind that she knew would be soothing for the baby boy's ears. Her favourite song to sing was 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' because it was one of the few melodies that calmed him instantaneously, and, in fact, the tiny boy would happily coo along as if trying to join in. It was the most pure and wholesome thing, a single moment that Amelia would lock away and always remember.

Perhaps Kari would be a musical kid when he grew up.

Aster, on the other hand, didn't seem overly enthusiastic when Amelia tried singing to her; instead, while Amelia was busy luring Kari into a light slumber, Loki propped pillows up against the headboard of their bed, took Aster into the crook of his elbow, and cracked open one of his many books to start reading to her.

Except, the books weren't baby-friendly. Just like the one Amelia had found in the library before, it was a book that spoke of monsters and scary creatures that lived in other realms, with unpleasant illustrations to match, and yet Loki propped the book up against his thighs and pointed to each sketchy drawing as he read the descriptions, completely unbothered that Aster was getting a full view of the gross creatures.

"This is a Fossegrim, a water-spirit that tends to linger by waterfalls. It may look handsome at first glance but they can be unpredictable with their intentions, so if you ever encounter one in person, it would be best to walk away, lest you fall victim to its charm," Loki warned his daughter, tapping the image of the creature with his pointer finger. Aster merely stared at the page, making quiet goo-goo noises in the back of her throat.

Amelia leaned over after finally having gotten Kari to sleep and peered at the inked parchment, frowning at the drawings. The so-called Fossegrim appeared to be a half-naked man wielding a violin, getting drenched beneath a waterfall, his face seemingly friendly in the first illustration, but monstrous in the second with his eyes opened wide and lips pulled back to reveal fans in a big toothy grin. If that wasn't nasty enough, there was also a hastily drawn picture below of what looked like a drowned child.

"Why are you showing her this? It's not very nice." Amelia protested. In all honesty, she wasn't entirely sure it would have a negative effect on Aster as she was too young to understand anything her daddy was saying or any of the drawings in the book, but as a matter of principal, it seemed like a bad idea to show them to her anyway.

"It's important to read to babies in order to establish a larger vocabulary once they've grown-"

"Yeah, that's talking about the _Very Hungry Caterpillar, _or _The Cat in the Hat, _not grizzly accounts from a book of gruesome monsters," Amelia pointed out with a cynical tilt of her eyebrow.

"The Fossegrim is hardly gruesome. Look at it. It's a beautiful man with a violin," Loki argued dismissively.

Amelia pressed her finger to the sketch below, "That's literally a drawing of a dead child."

Loki looked down at it for a moment like one would inspect a piece to a jigsaw puzzle, with searching intent, and finally shook his head, "All the better to warn her about such creatures. You wouldn't want her to be lured into a lake by one of these things because she didn't know to stay away."

Amelia rolled her eyes, giving her daughter a pondering look. The baby seemed perfectly content, and Loki was probably right about her not being able to find fear in an image she could hardly comprehend.

"Fine," Amelia relented with a sigh, and listened to her husband read the words on the pages aloud to their daughter. It was difficult for Amelia to understand why Aster would be more soothed by the words in Loki's book rather than the nursery rhymes her mother sang, but Amelia wasn't bothered by it really. Perhaps Aster was just a daddy's girl.

Loki flipped the page, but instead of continuing to read, he paused for a strangely long time; by this point, Amelia had almost been dozing off to the sound of Loki's voice, but she blinked her eyes open and looked up at her husband's face to find his eyebrows knitted as he glared down at the page.

Pushing herself up, Amelia quickly realised why.

The next chapter of his book happened to be on the Jotnar, and the image scratched onto the right side of the page spread was of a very, _very _unfriendly looking Jotun. It was drawn in a purposefully intimidating pose, it's body depicted as large and brawny; it was hairless, body littered with battle scars, and appeared to be snarling, revealing it's sharp teeth which were dripping with what Amelia could only assume was blood. The creature's eyes were blotted out, making it look like a soulless killer.

Amelia could not read the paragraph of text beside the image, but she couldn't imagine it was anything positive given the look on Loki's face. Aster looked very much like she'd been close to slipping into slumber before Loki's soothing voice had abruptly cut off, and now she was blinking tiredly, looking up at her daddy's face as if to say '_why did you stop?'_

Not knowing exactly what to say, Amelia placed a gentle hand on her husband's upper arm, "Loki?"

It seemed to pull him out of his headspace, and he shifted slightly, checking Aster was still comfortable before continuing to reluctantly read aloud the passages on the page.

"Of all the monstrous creatures in the Nine Realms, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim are by far one of the most dangerous and feared races," Loki began bitterly, his slightly playful story-telling tone completely replaced by a cold, factual one, "from their huge, brawny bodies to their icy, biting touch, most encounters with these- these _beasts, _will surely be lethal."

He said the words with sharp acidity, his face marred with a frown, and Amelia could tell all those thoughts of self-hatred were stirred and roused from their dormant state. Aster began to whine, it started with a quiet murmur, and Amelia was determined to soothe her before she could grow louder and wake her brother who was slumbering in his crib not too far away.

"Shh, shh," Amelia hushed the baby, leaning over to stroke her forehead gently.

"I suppose you were right," Loki sighed, "this book is too frightening for her."

"You dolt," Amelia grumbled, "she's fussing because you're being all moody, not because she's scared."

Loki raised an eyebrow in surprise at Amelia's retort, and then his gaze hardened slightly, "And how do you know that?"

"You've read through page after page of weird, disturbing creatures and she's hardly batted an eyelid, but you think this drawing of a big, bald frost giant is what gets her crying? Obviously not. I think she can sense you're upset, and it makes her upset too."

At that, Loki looked down at the bundled baby in the crook of his arm, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. The action had the desired effect, and Aster's mewling quietened to a soft whimper, but she seemed more awake now, the drowsiness completely gone from his face.

"Looks like you'll have to read some more to get her to sleep. She seems pretty stubborn," Amelia smiled, rubbing Loki's arm, "this time, don't speak so rigidly, love."

Loki spared the illustration another glance before pinching the corner of the page to turn it over, but Amelia stopped him.

"Wait," she whispered, and gave Aster her full attention, "while the frost giant in this book may seem scary, they're not all like that. In fact, I know at least one that is the most wonderful, smart, beautiful person you'll ever meet, and even though he can be a little chilly sometimes, he's all warm on the inside."

Aster cooed happily, and Amelia grinned, tilting her head to glance at her husband. Loki was staring at her with an abundance of tenderness and love, and he moved forward to give her a soft, dreamy kiss.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Amelia replied, giddy from his declaration. It didn't matter how many times he said those three doting words, they always had the same dizzying effect on her.

Aster made another unintelligible noise, and Loki chuckled, giving her another kiss on the head, "And I love _you _too. And your brother."

Amelia laid against her husband's side, cosy and content in the warmth of the moment.

* * *

While the weather was still on the chilly side, it was definitely beginning to slowly raise in temperature, and it afforded an opportunity that Amelia had been after for a while. She had wanted to take the babies outside around the palace grounds to give them a taste of nature, but she hadn't wanted to do so while it was still icy outside.

Spring was approaching, and while it was sprinkling with rain most days, this morning happened to be awash with sunlight, bathing everything in a pretty orange glow. It was to be the first time the babies actually went _outside, _and Amelia was oddly excited about it.

Instead of a stroller or anything similar, Amelia and Loki each carried a baby in a heavily padded wicker basket where they lay bundled in warm blankets, just for the purposes of easier transportation, instead of having to hold them up to their chests the whole walk. Amelia found it amusing, as if the two infants were part of a picnic set.

The palace grounds smelt pleasantly like petrichor, and the grass was still damp from when it had rained overnight; Amelia and Loki walked side by side, basking in the sun's glow as it reached over the walled-in courtyard, breathing in the scent around them. It was lovely.

At least it was until Kari interrupted the peace with his clamorous cries.

"Oh…" Amelia sighed. It was getting easier to tell between his cries for survival needs and his cries for attention, and this was definitely a cry for attention, "I'm right here, you little drama queen." She placed the basket down on the nearby bench and picked the swaddled boy out of his carrier and into her arms, rocking him slightly to calm him down. Within a few seconds, his wailing diminished, a little more content with being held at his mother's breast.

"He can't stand to be anywhere but in your arms," Loki remarked with a smirk, "I know the feeling."

"Hush, you," Amelia retorted to her husband, "I'm sure as he grows older, he'll become less fussy, but I'll indulge him with cuddles for now." She rubbed her hand over the curly wisps of hair on his head, pouring so much love into the gesture.

Amelia watched Kari's eyes dart around as he absorbed his bleary surroundings, most likely taken aback by the change in scenery, "Perhaps he's just scared cause it's his first time out," she supposed, and abandoned the basket to carry him closer to the plants that were growing on one side of the garden.

An amplitude of little bright purple blooms were growing up the wall, and Amelia stood by them, angling Kari's head towards them, "See these? Pretty colour, isn't it?" Amelia smiled, noting the way Kari stared at the plant, "These flowers are heather, the purple ones symbolise admiration and solitude," she explained, "maybe when you grow up, you'll love flowers as much as I do?"

Obviously, Amelia wasn't expecting a response, the boy didn't understand her words, but his tiny mouth pulled up at the sides, forming a pretty little smile that made Amelia's heart lurch.

"Loki!" Amelia called, her voice full of urgency.

"What is it?" Loki quickly approached, mindful not to rock Aster's basket too much, with a look of concern on his face. That was, until he saw Amelia's unbelievably wide grin.

"Kari's smiling! Look!"

Loki leaned over her shoulder, glancing down at his son, but of course by the time he was looking down at the boy, Kari's smile had disappeared.

"You missed it," Amelia pouted, "he's so cute, it was such a cute smile."

Loki chuckled, "I'm sure it was. He has your mouth, after all, he no doubt has a smile like your own."

Amelia's cheeks went pink from the implied praise. Was that some flirting on Loki's end? The two of them had been _so _busy seeing to the children ever since they were born that they didn't have so much time for each other - it was lovely hearing such a pure compliment from him again.

She glanced up, checking to see if any guards were watching, and found that the coast seemed to be clear. She plucked up one of the stems of heather and slipped it into one of the folds of Kari's blanket so that he could see the brightly coloured petals in front of his face, and predictably, he looked enamoured with it.

It made Amelia very happy to see that her son was overjoyed from one flower.

"He takes after you," Loki pointed out, "finding beauty in nature and the most simple things."

"And Aster takes after you," Amelia replied, "with her clear scholastic interests so early in life," she was of course referring to the night before and Aster's contentment at being read to.

Loki responded with a smile cast towards his daughter who was quiet in her warm bundle, enjoying the fresh air. "They're both perfect," he remarked.

"They are," Amelia happily agreed.

* * *

**I think we'll have another time jump in the next chapter and maaaaaaybe a certain bunch of Avengers will finally meet our two new family members, hmm? ;)**


	20. A Family Expanded

**The Avengers finally get to see the two little babies in this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it :P**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty: A Family Expanded

Loki had been smart to craft little makeshift earmuffs from padding and headbands for the babies, because Amelia had not quite anticipated the sheer volume of cheers that would erupt from the crowds on either side of them as they travelled through the residential areas of the kingdom in an open horse-drawn carriage.

Amelia was taken aback by just how enthusiastically the Asgardians expressed their joy at just a glimpse of the tiny faces of their three month old children, and she grinned at the throngs of people jumping up and down, waving their arms and peering over to catch sight of Kari and Aster. She made sure to lift Aster up and angle her face at the horde, ensuring the baby girl was not in any discomfort from the abundance of noise - Loki's quick-thinking was working wonders for their little ears - and laughed as the squeals from the crowd grew louder and happier still.

The two infants had been prettied up for their little parade, dressed in finely-made baby gowns and wearing those circlets Amelia had been gifted at the gala on the day of their birth. The congregation of villagers couldn't have looked more elated at the new prince and princess of Asgard.

Loki had mentioned before that the Asgardian people were not used to seeing children, much less infants, but Amelia had never pressed further on it. Now, however, she was very curious.

"When was the last time a child was born in Asgard?" Amelia leaned over to speak into Loki's ear, barely able to hear her own voice over the noise. He heard, however, with his superior ears.

"It has probably been around eighty years since the last birth was recorded," he informed her after a moment of consideration, and Amelia looked at him in surprise. The fact that the third youngest person in Asgard, not including herself, was around eighty years old - and probably still looked like a teenager or younger due to the slowed aging process of Asgardians - was pretty astounding.

The parade circled through the more clumped-together homes, and Amelia found herself wowed by the infrastructure of the houses - the log cabins invoked an odd desire to go camping in the woods like she had done a few times as a child with her brother - and the fact that even the more common areas of Asgard still looked beautifully built. Nobody in the kingdom spared any expense when it came to rebuilding after relocating to Earth - everybody looked as though they were living comfortably.

That just showed that Thor was a brilliant king who made the needs of his subjects priority, Amelia supposed. Perhaps it was also why every single face just seemed so upbeat and happy.

As soon as that last thought passed through her head, she spied a strange sight - the figure of somebody, man or woman, Amelia couldn't tell, standing a little further back from the crowd. They were barely moving, and they wore a hooded cloak, shrouding their face; it was their stillness that made them stand out, compared to the rest of the masses, and a trickle of nervousness filtered through into Amelia's chest.

She looked to Loki to see if he had seen the figure, but he was looking to the other side, though he must have sensed Amelia's sudden discomfort because he turned to her with a concerned frown. Amelia glanced back to where she had seen the mystery individual, but they were gone.

"Is something wrong?" Loki asked, following her line of sight curiously.

Amelia shifted ever so slightly closer to Loki, cradling Aster closer to her chest subconsciously and shook her head. It wasn't her first time seeing a strange figure in Asgard, but the last time it happened, she had felt there was some truth in Loki's surmise that it had been his mother; this time, however, the unusual presence filled her with a feeling that was far from serene.

She shook herself out of it. It was probably just some elderly Asgardian who wasn't spry enough to jump about like the others and elected to stay back and watch from afar, and she was just reading too much into it.

"I'm fine," she forced a smile and tried to put her attention back on the excitement. After a short while, it wasn't too hard to simply forget about it, because she took comfort in the fact that she would be living in Avengers Tower for the next three months or so anyway.

* * *

Amelia had been worried that the babies would not take well to travelling with the Bifrost, but when they touched down on the large balcony, the two infants were still very much fast asleep, completely undisturbed by what Amelia could only describe as a rollercoaster that didn't abide by the laws of physics. It took her a moment to gather her bearings as she clutched Loki's forearm, trying to blink away the dizziness.

Even though Thor had already said goodbye to the babies, he begged for one last look at them before having to return to his kingdom, and bid them farewell with a kiss on each forehead, "Goodbye little prince and princess," Thor sighed as if he wasn't going to see them again for years, even though they would be back in three months, and Amelia couldn't help but snicker at the Asgardian king's pout. He really loved his niece and nephew.

Loki could only roll his eyes.

"And goodbye bigger prince and princess," Thor addressed Loki and Amelia, giving his brother a brief pat on the shoulder and his sister-in-law a big hug, mindful of the baby she carried in her basket carrier.

"We'll miss you," Amelia stated with a grin, she was going to miss the king's lovely banquets, and his booming voice with which he told the best stories and the silliest jokes.

"As will I," Thor returned, a smile upon his face, "I will let you go now, I'm sure the others are very excited to meet the little ones."

Amelia and Loki stepped back, clearing the 'launch pad', and watched Thor depart in a flash of rainbow colours before heading into the tower, making their way down to the floor with the communal living space where they knew everybody was gathered in anticipation.

The moment they appeared in the entryway of the room, Tony was up on his feet, his face beaming with excitement - it wasn't such a common expression for the man, and it was truly endearing as he crossed the room to gather Amelia in his arms in a quick, encompassing hug.

"I've missed you, kid," Tony exclaimed, "look at you, no more big belly." His eyes were suddenly pinned to the two baskets in the hands of Loki and Amelia, and it was clear he was begging with his whole being to get a good look at the babies without saying the words.

"I've missed you too," Amelia smiled widely, "all of you, of course! Who's ready to meet the babies?"

"Oh, please," Tony implored, palms pressed together below his chin.

"I've been waiting months for this," Natasha spoke up, raising her hand in affirmation.

"Don't keep us waiting," said Bruce, smiling with nervous excitement.

Amelia laughed, glowing with happiness to know that the Avengers were just as thrilled to meet the babies as she and Loki had been; the two infants in question were still sound asleep, having not stirred since they left Asgard - they were probably a bit sleepy from all the hustle and bustle of the parade earlier that day, but she hoped they wouldn't be too dismayed to be woken up by the curious Avengers wishing to greet them.

Amelia and Loki approached the sitting area where everybody was gathered, the latter of the two strangely quiet amongst the enthusiasm of the others as they placed the two baskets on the centre coffee table and carefully peeled the blankets back to reveal Kari and Aster. It was an instant wave of smiles all around.

Tony murmured a delighted '_oh wow' _at the sight of the slumbering infants, Natasha had to cover her mouth to avoid making a noise that might have embarrassed her, Bruce managed to only just contain his delight, and Steve leaned in to observe them while Clint sat back with a cheery-laced smirk. The slight commotion of their captivation prompted the two babies to begin to stir.

"Can we _hold _them? Please, kid?" Tony questioned eagerly.

"No," was Loki's immediate response.

Amelia nudged her husband in the side in a sort of reprimand, "Of course you can hold them, after they wake up a little more. They were fed not too long ago, so hopefully they're not too grumpy," she spoke, kneeling down beside Kari's basket so that the little boy could awaken to the sight of his mama instead of what he perceived as strangers.

Predictably, after Kari blinked his eyes a few times, he gave Amelia one of his cute smiles, capturing the hearts of everybody in the room. "Hi, baby," Amelia greeted in a sing-song voice, and made a move to lift the boy into her arms.

Aster, on the other hand, stretched her little arms in the direction of her father, who looked almost complacent that his daughter wanted to be held by _him _specifically. He picked Aster up and held her close, brushing his finger against her cheek until she gripped it with her tiny fists and refused to release him.

"They're so precious," Nat remarked, something that everybody in the room readily agreed with.

"God, I still can't believe you two have _kids," _Tony exclaimed, dragging his fingers through his hair, clearly incredulous from just how adorably perfect the two infants were.

"Well, believe it," Loki responded bluntly.

After a few minutes, Amelia surmised that Kari was in a good enough mood to be passed over to Natasha, and did so gently, placing the child in the woman's awaiting arms.

"Say hi to Auntie Nat." Amelia made sure to stay close by in case Kari got nervous, but it seemed almost immediately apparent that the infant boy was a fan of Natasha if the wondrous look in his eyes was anything to go by. Contrariwise, Nat was just as enraptured by the baby, sporting a smile that stretched across her whole face.

"What a cutie," Nat whispered, "look at these curls." She tickled the ringlets with her fingers, making Kari babble and squeal in a very gleeful way. "Alright, it's official," Nat added, "I'd die for this kid."

Amelia snorted, grabbing Kari's flailing foot and giving it a little shake, "Tell me about it."

Tony looked at Loki with imploration in his gaze, clearly envious of Natasha and too eager to wait any longer, "Can I hold her, please?" He begged, gesturing to the baby girl in Loki's arms.

Amelia could tell Loki was about to offer another snarky response, so she gave him a look urging him to behave, to which he rolled his eyes and sighed, before stepping closer to Tony and leaning down to lower Aster into his arms.

"Don't hurt her." Loki said, an unspoken threat wavering beneath his words.

"Of course I'm not gonna hurt her," Tony murmured, looking down in awe at the baby as she was placed in his care. Aster clung to Loki's finger to the point where he had to gently pry her fist away so he could escape her grasp, but once she was safely in Tony's arms, she redirected her attention and began looking him over with curiosity.

"Hey, kiddo," Tony spoke, smiling wide at the infant's inquisitiveness, "oh, aren't you adorable. Got such big eyes there, I can tell it's gonna be difficult to ever say no to you."

It was sweet to hear Tony speak to Aster, and very clear from his words that he was going to strive to do everything he possibly could for the babies to ensure they grew up in a safe environment.

Upon offering his index finger for her to hold like Loki had, she tentatively gripped it in her hands, as if testing whether it was a good finger to latch onto in her shockingly strong fists, before deciding that indeed it was.

"Oof, you're pretty strong for a three month old," Tony chuckled, booping her chin with the tip of his finger, and he almost bounced out of his seat when she gave him a subtle smile, "oh you did _not _just smile at me. That's it. I'm giving you everything you ever ask for. You want a pony? I'll get you a pony. A spaceship? A mansion? Name it, it's yours."

Kari and Aster sure were lucky to have the Avengers as their essentially extended family; without a grandmother or grandfather alive on either side of the family, having Tony, Nat and the others present in their lives was absolutely a blessing.

Loki and Amelia weren't going to be alone in raising the twins, they would have plenty of help, and for that Amelia was endlessly grateful.

When Aster was handed on to Bruce, she made a precise grab for his glasses, pulling them eagerly from his face.

"Yeah, careful. She likes stealing glasses," Amelia warned a little too late. There had been many times while holding Aster where the baby had made a habit of appropriating Amelia's eyewear.

"Thanks for letting me know," Bruce responded with playful sarcasm, trying to pinch his specs back from the child. Aster probably wouldn't give them up too easily.

Natasha eventually gave Kari to Steve, who had waited patiently for his turn to hold the baby, and Amelia watched the infant stare up at the blond-haired, blue-eyed Avengers for all of ten seconds before he began to scream with his mighty pair of lungs.

"What did you do?" Loki was quick on the accusation.

"I didn't do anything!" Steve responded, looking dismayed and a little lost at Kari's reaction to him. He tried gently patting the child's tummy in a way he thought was comforting, but let out a sigh when Kari did not cease his vociferous wailing. "I've… never been good with young children," he murmured over the incredible volume emitting from the baby.

"He'll get used to you," Amelia smiled apologetically, "he's just not used to loads of new faces."

"Here, let me-" Clint quickly intercepted, lifting Kari from Steve's arms, and Amelia saw Loki visibly jerk in the corner of her vision, his back going rigid as he burned his gaze into the man's face.

Clint seemed to know what he was doing, Amelia wasn't worried about him accidentally hurting Kari as he knew to be careful, and Amelia didn't share Loki's apparent dislike of the man.

Folding Kari's arms against his chest, Clint secured them there with his hand before supporting the infant's bottom with his other hand, and held him at a slight angle before beginning to rock him gently. Moments later, Kari was completely quiet, looking almost completely pacified by the motion.

Amelia's jaw dropped open, "What are you, a wizard?"

"Neat trick, huh? Learned it after having my second kid," Clint revealed, looking smugly at Steve, "guaranteed happy baby in five seconds or less."

"Wish we'd known _that _for the past three months," Amelia murmured, still in a state of amazement, "you gotta teach me exactly how to do that."

"Sure." Clint gave the baby a little smile.

Loki finally moved after minutes of standing like he had a rod up his ass, and let out a barely audible grumble as he walked around the back of the sofa where Clint was standing and promptly took the child back, glaring at the man as he held Kari to his chest. Clint didn't resist at all, easily letting Loki take his son back, but he did return the none-too-friendly look he had received.

Amelia rolled her eyes at the constant rivalry between the two of them, wondering if they'd ever really get along.

"Right," Amelia announced, clearing the atmosphere that had manifested as a result of the two men, "I want to get Kari and Aster settled. They're probably gonna take a good long nap, but we'll bring them back later this afternoon."

Tony looked mildly disappointed that the babies were being taken away from the group so soon, but he quickly got over it, nodding in understanding, "Of course, you get yourselves sorted. Just give us a call if you need anything, I'm happy to help."

"Maybe later I can get acquainted with Aster?" Natasha asked with subtle hopefulness.

"Absolutely, I'm sure she'll love you," Amelia grinned and turned to Steve, "and you'll probably have better luck holding Aster - she's pretty quiet compared to her brother." Steve looked optimistic that he'd have better luck with the second baby.

With that, Amelia and Loki carried Aster and Kari out of the communal room and headed to the elevator where they could return to their room that had been vacant for three months; while Amelia did love the huge bed in Asgard, she was glad to be back at the Tower. It was the same feeling as coming back from a long vacation - the relief of returning to a more familiar environment was bubbling up inside her.

Once in the lift, Amelia opened her mouth to quietly reprimand Loki for his brash attitude towards Clint, but he beat her to the punch.

"Did you see the way he snatched Kari from Rogers without warning? Abysmal, it's hard to believe that clown has three children when he treats them like stuffed toys."

Amelia blinked, "He wasn't _that _rough. You're just seeing into it because you don't like him, for some reason."

Loki looked mildly affronted that Amelia would take Clint's side, "He should've asked to hold him."

"You would've said no anyway," Amelia pointed out with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes, and?" Loki replied.

"You're ridiculous. You're gonna have to get over your bias against him, Loki," Amelia's tone became a tad more serious, "I don't want you teaching our children to dislike him, you hear me?"

Loki frowned, looking down at Kari who was now peacefully snoozing in the crook of his elbow, but didn't bless Amelia's question with a response. Amelia let it go for now, but she wouldn't be so lenient if Loki was so blatantly rude to Clint again.

* * *

**I hope a lot of people are still enjoying this story. I didn't get as many comments as usual on the last chapter and it made me worry that I might be doing something wrong, so if you do read and enjoy this story, I would really appreciate if you left a comment!**


	21. A Fresh Understanding

**You guys are WONDERFUL. All those comments on the last chapter literally made me so happy and I want to give each and every one of you a virtual hug because it was so so lovely to see all your kind words and ahhhhhhh thank you so much 3**

**I apologise for the gap between this chapter and the last, but I discovered Hamilton: The Musical on Disney+ and basically I have watched it 6 times in a week because I'm obsessed with it. I KNOW I should've been writing but you guys... it's so amazing LOL. Anyway, I'll be more focused on writing for the next few weeks because I'm off work starting next Monday because it is my BIRTHDAAAAAAAAAAAAY! July 27th, and I'll be turning 27, heck yeah!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-One: A Fresh Understanding

Since the initial day Loki and Amelia had brought the twins home to Avengers Tower, Amelia had spent a lot of time silently wondering just why Loki and Clint seemed to hate each other so much. They treated each other unkindly, speaking snappily whenever they were forced to acknowledge the other's existence, and ignoring each other the rest of the time. Amelia just didn't get it, Loki had mostly warmed to the others since living in the tower, but there was still unexplainable bad blood between Loki and Clint.

Eventually, Amelia decided: _why not ask?_

But when she broached the subject to Loki, he brushed it off and shrugged it off, telling her that Clint was just a fool, and that is why he hated him. She wasn't going to get a straight answer from her husband, so she went to the only other person who could give her a satisfactory response.

"Clint, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The man in question looked surprised that Amelia had something she needed to talk with him about, and even shot Natasha a look with his raised eyebrows, silently asking if she knew what it was about. Natasha looked just as confused.

"Sure," Clint said.

Amelia pointed back out of the room, "Privately?"

Another wave of fresh confusion rolled over the man, "Uh, okay."

Amelia led him out of the communal living room and down the hallway a bit so that they were out of earshot from any of the others.

"If this is about what happened the other day with Kari, I wasn't being rough with the kid, and I'm not apologising to Lo-" Clint was cut-off mid sentence.

"I'm not asking you to apologise, I'm in agreement that you did nothing wrong. Loki overreacted."

"Oh," Clint blinked and glanced around, "where is he, anyway?"

Amelia looked sheepish for a moment, "He's in the nursery with the kids… thinks I just came down to get some food."

"I see. So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well," Amelia began, pausing to think her words over - she wanted to know the truth, and she hoped Clint would be willing to explain, unlike her husband, because if not it would drive her up the wall, "I want to know the reason you and Loki hate each other."

Unexpectedly, Clint chuckled, seemingly amused by the question. "I don't hate Loki," he said simply, "I don't like him, not by a long shot, but I don't hate him."

It hadn't been what Amelia was anticipating, and she looked at him dumbly for a few moments before amending her question, "Okay… why do you _dislike _him?"

Clint stared at her face then for a worryingly long time, observing her closely, but before it got to an absurdly long point, he sighed, "Has he really never gone into it?"

"Huh?"

"Has he ever talked in detail about what happened? Back in 2012, with the invasion?"

"Well," Amelia shrugged her shoulders meekly, "not _incredible _detail." A feeling of discomfort was setting into Amelia's stomach as Clint's inquiry reminded her that there were still many things she didn't know about her own husband, who she was married to, with two children. It seemed as though she _should _have known what Clint was getting at, but Loki was very furtive when it came to the bad things he had done in the past.

Amelia didn't really blame him, of course. She knew Loki was a different person than he was back then, and that he was ashamed of the things he had done. She hadn't needed to know more than that back then, but her curiosity was getting the better of her; a small part of her, however, was afraid to know.

Clint looked as though he didn't want to reveal exactly what Loki had done, for fear that it might put a dent in her and Loki's relationship, but Amelia took a deep breath, knowing there was nothing he could say that would change how she felt about her husband.

"Just tell me," she said.

Clint peered back over his shoulder briefly. "He used the mind stone on me, took away my free will and forced me to kill people that opposed him." He said the words quietly and succinctly, revealing just enough information and nothing more; Amelia could discern exactly why Clint felt the way he did towards Loki. "He's never apologised, never shown me any remorse. I've had no reason to warm to him."

Amelia had known it wasn't going to be anything good, but hearing the words from Clint made her feel nauseous, and she eyed the floor at her feet for a few seconds, unable to look him in the eye. She understood at once why Clint had such an aversion to Loki, but she couldn't understand why Loki returned the sentiment just as harshly. Loki was the one who had wronged Clint, not the other way around.

"R-right. Thank you for telling me," Amelia stammered, nodding her head.

Clint hesitantly stepped back and turned away to return to the living room.

"I'm sorry," Amelia added hastily, because she _was_ sorry. She was sorry Clint had had to go through that - it must have been a truly horrifying ordeal, and she couldn't imagine just how it had affected him.

Clint looked back at her, "You're really not the one who should be apologising."

* * *

Amelia didn't waste any time mulling around and instead went straight back to the nursery to talk to Loki about what she had learned. She spent the entire walk back to the room trying to figure out how to word her questions so that her husband didn't feel like he was being judged or interrogated, but Amelia wasn't the best at coming up with elegant sentences. Everything she thought up in her head sounded blunt, and there didn't seem to be any way to broach the subject without causing Loki some distress.

She hesitated at the door, hearing the sound of Kari squealing, and let out a quiet sigh before sliding open the door and stepping into the room. Despite the thoughts whirling in her head, she couldn't help but smile at the scene before her; both her children and her husband were lying on the floor rug on their stomachs, Loki propped up on his elbows while Kari and Aster lifted their heads just a little off the floor to look at him.

They were growing stronger every day. Amelia had been awed the first time they had used their arms to push their heads up, completely overjoyed by the development. Truly, she was becoming more and more excited every day when she noticed the babies doing something new - something learned.

Loki idly shook a rattling toy before them, urging them to reach for it, "You want the rattle? Take it from me." Kari babbled while Aster kicked her legs, but it didn't seem yet like either of them could figure out just how to move in order to grab the toy - it made sense as it was still early days, but Loki was always talking about how he wanted to teach them everything early, convinced that they inherited his brawn and brains, and thus knew they would be able to figure everything out ahead of the normal development of human children.

While Kari and Aster both seemed to be very smart babies, Amelia doubted they were miracle workers, but she supposed there was no harm in _trying _to teach them things like mobility and how to leverage their bodies in order to obtain toys.

The thought made Amelia chuckle. They were only fourteen weeks old, but Loki continued to talk to them and treat them as if they were older. His desire to pass on knowledge to his children simply couldn't wait.

"How are my sweetpeas doing?" Amelia greeted in a sing-song voice, kneeling on the rug beside them. Their eyes followed her as she came closer, and they visibly reacted to her presence, anticipating the cuddles their mama was going to give them. Amongst their coos, Amelia leaned down and kissed them both on the forehead, nuzzling her nose against the wisps of hair on their scalps.

"Kari almost rolled over a little while ago," Loki informed, continuing to shake the rattling toy, "_almost,_ not quite. I tried to get him to roll all the way, but I don't think he wants to listen to his father."

Amelia snorted, "Maybe he'll listen to _me. _Hey, Kari, you wanna show off your strong muscles and roll onto your back for mama? If you do, I'll give you a cookie… when you're old enough to eat it, that is."

Kari babbled at the attention, blowing a small bubble from the droll accumulating at his mouth, but remained very comfortable on his belly, making no move to shimmy and shift.

"Looks like he's not listening to _either _of us," Amelia exclaimed with faux shock, "what a little _rebel." _She lightly tickled the baby's side and he gave a happy squeal in response, pulling a laugh from his mother's throat.

Her laughter died down after a few seconds as she remembered the little dilemma she had been mulling over and she sighed, sitting upright and fiddling with her hands in her lap; she felt Loki's eyes on her at once, and grew even more awkward at his insistent stare in her peripheral vision. How was she going to begin?

"Alright, what's wrong?" Loki squinted suspiciously at her, evidently taking some of the pressure off of Amelia - at least she didn't have to uncomfortably be the one to bring up that there was an issue she wanted to talk over.

"I spoke with Clint downstairs a few minutes ago."

Loki had no outward reaction to her words, but his eyes did not sway from her, and he looked almost like a statue, waiting for her to go on.

"I wanted to know why things were so bad between you guys," Amelia began, eyeing Loki for even the slightest twitch that might betray what he was feeling as she spoke on, "and he told me about what happened… back in 2012, during the… the, uh, invasion." She flushed, realising that she hated to bring up the topic just as much as Loki, but she knew it needed to be discussed.

"He told me about the sceptre, that it had the mind stone in it…" Amelia was suddenly very aware that Loki was _glaring, _not quite at her, but more at the space between them, and that he must have been stewing in his thoughts to have such a weirdly unresponsive expression. Amelia pressed on reluctantly, "He said that you… controlled his mind… and made him do things he didn't wanna do."

Loki's vision sharpened, eyes twitching with negative emotions, and he snapped at her for the first time in many, many months, "You've always known I had done terrible things. I've never tried to hide that fact."

Amelia was quick to clarify. "I'm not angry," she gently told him, leaning forwards to lay a hand on his arm, but he shrugged it off and diverted his gaze.

Perhaps it hadn't been a good idea to bring it up right in front of the babies; Amelia didn't want to cause them any distress and she probably should've expected that _somebody _might raise their voice or start speaking in harsher tones. Aster and Kari merely stared at them with their wide eyes, no smiles and no babbling.

"I didn't bring this up to upset you," Amelia began, "I just wanted to get to the bottom of it - I did try asking you, but you wouldn't tell me anything."

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch," Loki growled.

"No, you aren't, and _don't _swear in front of the kids!" Amelia hissed, making the move to cover their ears before glumly registering that she only had two hands while there were four innocent ears that needed to be protected. "Look, he didn't want to tell me at first, probably thought it would be bad for our relationship, but listen - me _knowing _the specifics of what you did doesn't change anything between us, okay? I know you've done bad things, but I also know that's in the past. You aren't that person anymore, and I love you."

"If it doesn't change anything, then why are we talking about it?" Loki asked rigidly. He had stopped shaking the rattling toy, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger, as he stared down at his wriggly babies with a furrowed brow.

Amelia tilted her head and frowned. It seemed there was nothing she could say to nudge Loki out of his grumpy state, so she decided to just get to the point.

"What Clint told me explains his dislike of you, but not your dislike of him. So why do you not like him?"

Loki looked at Amelia like she was dumb, "I already told you. Because he's a moron."

"Yeah, that's not a good enough excuse to hate someone."

"Yes, it is."

"I'm pretty sure you called me a moron several times when we first met, but that didn't seem to stop you from falling in love with me," Amelia pointed out with a subtle smirk.

Loki rolled his eyes and was silent for a few moments, until eventually he spoke again, quiet and blunt, "He humiliated me once, shot me out of the sky with a damn explosive arrow, and thanks to him, I proceeded to get thrown around by the Hulk." He paused, and then added even more quietly, "It fucking hurt."

"Okay, firstly, _stop _swearing in front of the children, they have brains like sponges, you know. And secondly, _when _did that all happen?"

Loki shrugged his shoulders, "During the invasion."

"Oh." Amelia blinked, and then frowned, "Let me get this straight. You hate him because he shot you out of the sky, which led to you getting apprehended by the Avengers back in 2012?"

"More or less."

Amelia scratched her head and squinted at her husband, "Okay, but, you do realise that if he hadn't done that… these two probably wouldn't be here right now, right?" She motioned the gurgling babies laying before them on the rug.

Loki looked away, staring out the window to the blue sky above, and Amelia could tell that he knew she was right given his silence. It was so telling.

"I still hate him because he's a moron though," Loki murmured, and this time Amelia snorted.

"Right, well, I want you to say sorry for what you did to him back then."

Loki flung around, looking almost offended at the mere idea of apologising, "I'm not apologising to him."

"But _why? _He told me you've never apologised for what you did and you _should, _because whether you like it or not, Clint's gonna be present in the lives of your children as they grow up - do you have any idea how difficult things are going to be for them if you and him continue with this dumb feud you have going?" Amelia's frustration was evident, but she tried her best to keep a level voice in the presence of the babies, knowing that anything more would probably cause them distress. They were very attuned to the emotions of their parents, Amelia had noted on several different occasions.

"It's not that simple, Amelia. I'm not apologising to him."

Amelia exhaled out of her nose. Sometimes convincing her husband to have minimal decency was like trying to move mountains, he was too stubborn and clearly knew how to hold a grudge - which got Amelia thinking.

"Hey," Amelia said, drawing Loki's attention to her, "If I can forgive you for causing the death of my brother, you can forgive Clint for stopping your senseless rampage." She knew it was a low blow, and she regretted delivering it so spitefully, because she immediately saw the upset in his gaze. He practically flinched at the mention of her brother, woeful at the reminder that he had caused her that pain.

Loki wasn't even looking at the babies now. His eyes were burning into the floor with shame.

"I just…" Amelia began more gently, "I want you to try and be nicer to Clint. For the sake of Kari and Aster. Please?"

Loki didn't answer. Amelia wasn't able to add anything more to that before she heard the sound of the rattle being shaken excitedly, and both she and Loki looked to see Aster had managed to shimmy forward on her belly and snatch the toy from his hand, and was now waving it around in victory.

It broke the tension in the room immediately, and Loki was more than happy to leave his and Amelia's conversation at the door in favour of praising Aster for her achievement. "Good girl," Loki pinched Aster's cheek gently, and the little girl quickly shoved the rattle-toy in her mouth to try and chew on it. Kari looked just as happy for his sister, squealing and smiling in a way Amelia saw as adorably supportive.

The issue simmered down, replaced by a more positive feeling induced by the children being cute and lovable, and it melted the stress away. Amelia sighed, and then managed a small smile as she gently patted Kari on the back; her talk with Loki could wait till later, for now the children deserved some cuddles and attention.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this lovelies! Would love to hear what you think in the comments, and if you have ideas, I'm still taking them! I can always use some prompts to help me out xD And I'll try and be quicker with the updates for the next few chapters cause as I said, I have time off work and I wanna get ahead with this story :D**


	22. Windows to the Past

**Your comments always make me so happy. I got inspired to write this follow up chapter from the last one - it's a tad shorter but still sweet ^_^ I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-Two: Windows to the Past

After the little argument Amelia and Loki had had, there were very few spoken words between them for the hours that followed, not because either of them thought the silent treatment was the way to go, but more out of the fact that they both needed time to cool down and go through the thoughts in their heads before addressing the disagreement.

It wasn't until that evening, when the children were drifting off to sleep, that Amelia felt ready to talk about it. The question was, did Loki feel ready to talk about it? She was worried that if she sprung her words on him too early, he would be pushed away instead of pulled in.

Amelia had fed the babies several minutes prior, and Loki had taken Kari from her, who was still a little bit whiny, while Amelia had laid the very sleepy Aster in her crib at the foot of the bed. Loki continued to rock Kari in an effort to soothe him to sleep as he paced around the room, and Amelia sat on the edge of their bed, filled with a sudden urge to reach under the bed and grab something that was very dear to her, secreted in a fancy wooden box.

It was her brother's photo album, well taken care of and in pristine condition. Amelia retrieved it from time to time whenever she found herself missing Aaron - it was unavoidable that evening, as Amelia had thoughtlessly brought him up earlier that day in the midst of the argument, and had proceeded to not stop thinking about him since.

If Loki's mother had crossed over the boundary of death to pay her grandchildren a visit, Amelia wondered if maybe there was a chance Aaron had checked up on his niece and nephew at any point. As much as she hoped it was a possibility, the more rational and skeptical side of her thought it was highly unlikely.

Frigga was a magical being, the wife of a Norse god, the once-queen of Asgard, and she had entered Valhalla upon her death, according to Loki, whereas Aaron was just a non-magical human. Did humans even get to enter Valhalla? Was there an equivalent of paradise for humans?

She stopped the train of thought. Now was _not _the time to get existential - it would only put her mood down.

The sound of Kari making a noise of dismay pulled Amelia's attention across the room.

"Hey, hey, what's gotten into you?" She heard Loki whisper as he bounced the infant gently in his arms, "You're tired, aren't you? Go to sleep, little one. We can play again tomorrow."

Amelia smiled.

Despite her husband's stubbornness and frustration, he was very good at turning on dad mode and talking to his children in just the right way, and despite Amelia's exasperation towards him for what occurred earlier, she couldn't help but feel warmth rush through her at just how soft Loki was with Kari.

Looking back down to the photo album, Amelia opened up to the first page to be greeted with a slightly faded polaroid of her mother holding her as a baby, wrapped up in a bundle of blankets. The photo was dated as being a couple weeks after she was born, and her mother had the biggest grin on her face.

_Oh, mum, if you could see me now, _Amelia thought longingly. She had certainly grown a lot since the day the image was taken, and Amelia would've given anything to let her mother meet Kari and Aster.

Amelia turned to the next page and her eyes pinned to the photo of herself, once again no older than a few weeks, in the arms of her eight-year old brother who looked to be taking so much care not to hurt her as he cradled her gently, looking down at her like she was his whole world.

Even though he had died eight years ago, that grief did sometimes come back to stew in her mind, and when it did, Amelia kept it to herself. She couldn't very well bring it up to Loki, for obvious reasons, so she squeezed her eyelids down and forced herself not to cry. It was astounding how long one could remain affected by the loss of a loved one.

Amelia felt the bed dip suddenly and had just enough time to quickly flip to the next page before Loki pressed his chest to her back and pulled her flush against him; he breathed a warm sigh against her neck and nuzzled his nose against her shoulder, wordlessly apologising for their little argument from earlier that day.

"You managed to get Kari to sleep then?" Amelia whispered, furtively blinking away the moisture that had briefly welled up in her eyes.

Loki hummed, brushing his lips against his wife's neck, "He didn't seem to want to nod off so easily, but we got there in the end."

Amelia was impressed Aster had slept through Kari's fussing.

"Good. When he wakes up again in a few hours, you can figure out how to send him off to sleep again." Amelia turned her head, a small smile on her face, and Loki responded by seizing the opportunity to kiss her lips.

Amelia cut the kiss a little short as she remembered she was still frustrated with what had transpired earlier, and Loki looked a bit dispirited to be denied a more satisfying kiss. He fell silent while Amelia gazed down at the old photographs, and let out another big sigh before nudging her ear with his nose.

"I'm sorry for earlier."

Inwardly, Amelia smirked, but outwardly, she snorted in sardonic amusement.

"You can apologise to me but not to Clint?"

"I care about your feelings. I do not care about Barton's."

"Well you should. He's your teammate, remember?"

"I would hardly call him my teammate."

Amelia wrenched her shoulder away, dislodging Loki's chin from its resting spot, and tensed in growing frustration. She was _not _having this argument again, not after she'd spent the day cooling down and had only just succeeded in getting the babies to sleep.

Loki quickly backtracked, "Amelia, I'm not going to apologise to him, but-"

"But?"

"But if it makes you happy, I will… _try _and be… _nicer." _He practically shuddered at the thought of not being a complete asshole towards Clint, but it was a development, and probably the best compromise they could come to terms with at that moment. Loki cuddled Amelia tighter against his chest, silently asking for her forgiveness.

Amelia exhaled loudly and let the silence hang a little longer than necessary before giving a minute nod. "Please _do _try."

Now that Loki was a tad more relaxed, he finally took in the sight of the photo album in her hands, looking over the various pictures of younger Amelia with her mother and brother. He absorbed the images quietly, until he stifled a snort when he spotted the photo of a very grumpy looking four-year-old Amelia dressed as a pumpkin.

"Why are you wearing this?" Loki asked, pointing at the page.

"It was for Halloween. I wanted to be Cinderella, hence the very unhappy look on my face. Aaron insisted on dressing me up like a damn pumpkin though."

"_Halloween?"_

Sometimes Amelia forgot that Loki didn't know a lot about human festivals and holidays, and given they had never celebrated it in the time Amelia had known him, she couldn't really blame him.

"On October 31st, kids - and adults, I guess - dress up as monsters or princesses or anything they want, and they go door to door to get candy from strangers."

"That sounds like an awful idea."

Amelia smiled, "Well, my brother and I always got lots and lots of candy, so we clearly didn't see a problem with it."

"Where do Midgardians get their ideas for these festivals?"

"Beats me." Amelia shrugged her shoulders and let out a big yawn. Deciding it was time to close the photo album and curl up in bed, she extricated herself from Loki's strong arms with a little extra effort - he didn't really want to let her go - and placed the album safely back in the confines of the bedside cabinet.

She stood and pulled her shirt off over her head, throwing it into the laundry basket with the intent of searching the drawers for her pyjama top, but Loki gave a pleased hum and it made her stop what she was doing. Looking back curiously, she saw Loki unashamedly trying to get an eyeful of her breasts.

Teasingly, Amelia folded her arms over her chest, putting on a stern expression.

"Amelia." Loki looked expectantly at her arms.

"Oh, sorry. Am I blocking your view?" Her eyebrows rose.

It was Loki's turn to pout. He slumped against the pillows, lying back on the bed with an anticipatory stare, and beckoned Amelia towards him with a curled finger.

Oh, he was in _the mood._

Amelia looked at the cots, wondering if she and her husband could manage to be quiet enough to have an intimate moment and not wake up the babies. It would most certainly ruin the mood in an instant if their fun was interrupted by high-pitched cries. She and Loki hadn't gotten any time alone since the babies were born, so Amelia couldn't blame Loki if he was about ready to blow. She herself had been wondering when they'd get the opportunity to have sex again.

"We can be quiet," Loki answered, practically reading her mind.

Amelia smirked, rolling her eyes. She definitely wasn't averse to the idea.

"Come on," Loki continued with a slight lilt in his quiet voice, "arms down, give me a twirl, love."

With a shake of her head, Amelia giggled, letting her arms fall to her sides to reveal her nude chest to her husband. She assumed she probably didn't look as spectacular as she had several months ago, long before she had given birth to twins, but she also knew that Loki never showed any aversion to stretch marks and other blemishes that were out of her control, so she wasn't exactly worried.

However, she did think Loki was putting on the theatrics a little when he pressed his lips into an 'O' shape and exhaled slowly, looking her body over like she was on goddess levels of beauty.

"You've seen me like this a thousand times," Amelia pointed out, tilting her head to the side and placing her hands on her hips.

"I've seen the sunset a thousand times as well. It doesn't make it any less enthralling."

And just like that, Amelia was ready to let the man before her do whatever he wanted with her - with a line like _that, _how could she say no?

She crossed the room swiftly but quietly and climbed onto the bed, crawling over her husband to kiss him fervently; his lips formed a smile as she did so, and his hands began to wander. Fingertips ghosted over her hips, moving around and up her stomach, travelling suggestively higher.

When he cupped her breasts, Amelia broke the kiss to speak playfully, "You be careful with those, they're for the children."

Loki snickered, giving her sensitive nipples a pinch. In return, she batted his hand away and tugged at his nightshirt.

"You, sir, are overdressed."

"Don't be so certain, little dove," Loki responded in a low tone, and Amelia had to immediately swallow a squeak at the reminder of the very filthy dream her imagination had cooked up.

"If I have to stay quiet, you're gonna have to _not _call me that."

"Mmm," he hummed, "what a shame."

In one swift movement, Loki rolled them over so that he was crouched predatorily above his wife, looking very much like a starving man who was about to devour a three-course meal, but as he dipped down to begin kissing a trail up between Amelia's breasts, the sound of Kari stirring had them both going rigid to avoid making any noise.

For a moment, it seemed like Kari would settle again.

But that moment passed, and instead he began to sniffle and whine louder and louder; Amelia let her head fall back against the pillow in resignation and let out a sigh, pouting as she stared up at the ceiling. It had been no longer than twenty minutes since Loki had laid him down to sleep, that had to be a new record for the shortest nap.

"You'd better pick him up before he wakes Aster," Amelia murmured to Loki, who had flopped down to sulk against her chest.

He made a noise of agreement and slipped off the bed, approaching Kari's crib as he gently shushed the boy, urging him to quieten down. "I'm here, little one. Don't cry."

Amelia frowned, shifting up to sit against the headboard. He'd been fussy and slow to settle a little while ago, not quite ready to go to sleep. He'd been changed just a short while ago and had fed before drifting off, so what could his problem be?

"Well," Amelia sighed, looking down at her breasts, "since these are out anyway, might as well see if he's still hungry." She smiled almost apologetically as Loki carried Kari over to her, knowing her husband had been excited to have a little fun.

Amelia looked down at Kari with a false pouty face as soon as he was handed over, "Aww, what's got you all upset, hmm? Are you still hungry? Are you gonna calm down and let mummy and daddy have a little time to themselves or not?"

The baby answered with an unintelligible whimper and was already trying to latch on to her nipple and start drinking.

"Guess that answers that question, huh?"

* * *

**Hope I didn't get your hopes up too much with the way that chapter was ending. I promise we'll circle back to a sexy chapter later on in the fic ;)**

**Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying this story, please show your appreciation in the comments!**

**IN THE NEXT CHAPTER: Kari just WILL NOT stop crying :(**


	23. I'll Be Right Here

**I didn't get as many comments on the last chapter. I hope I get more feedback on this chapter - I made it one of the longer ones ;)**

**For those who did comment on the last chapter, and those of you who comment on EVERY chapter, I just want to say a big heartfelt thank you for doing so. It gives me a boost of serotonin whenever I see a new comment, which absolutely keeps this fic afloat. If it wasn't for you all, there wouldn't be four fics in this series :')**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-Three: I'll Be Right Here

It began the next morning, where, like most other mornings, both Kari and Aster roused from their slumber and began to whine and cry. Their cries were usually for a multitude of reasons - whether they were hungry, needed changing, wanted attention, or were still a bit sleepy - but they always tended to calm down after most of these needs were met.

Aster would usually stop crying first, because she was generally the quieter of the two and was only wailing because her brother was being too noisy, and then Kari would calm down and become his usual happy self.

This morning, however, Kari just didn't stop.

_Unless _his mother was holding him.

After Loki had failed to calm him, he had handed the boy to Amelia, and Kari had been promptly soothed. Loki had rolled his eyes after Amelia joked that Kari liked her better, and had turned his attention to Aster instead, dressing her in a light green onesie as she sucked on a pacifier and wriggled around in a lively sort of way.

Once Amelia felt it was time to get out of bed and get changed, she gave Kari a little boop on the nose and then asked Loki to take him while she got herself dressed. Unfortunately, when Loki placed Aster safely back in her crib to take Kari from his wife, the boy began to cry again, practically the _second _Amelia's hands were no longer touching him.

"Maybe he really does like you better," Loki supposed, quirking one eyebrow as he gazed down at the clamorous child, rocking him back and forth in an attempt to calm him.

"He's just a mama's boy," Amelia responded, feeling the pressure to dress a little quicker so that she could take Kari back and soothe him once again.

Loki tried holding Kari upright to his shoulder instead, but it only succeeded in causing the screaming to enter directly into his ear; he frowned at the baby, lips pulling into a subtle pout, and attempted to talk to him, "It's just me. Why are you crying? I'm not an ogre."

Kari only screamed louder.

"Okay, okay, give him back to me," Amelia instructed, rushing to button up her jeans before holding her arms out. As they had predicted, Kari's deafening cries ceased immediately as he was once again placed in the care of his mother.

"I see how it is," Loki remarked with false offense, returning to Aster's crib to pluck the girl up; she held up her arms in anticipation of being held by her father, an action that Amelia did not happen to miss.

"Hey. Aster clearly likes _you _better. She's just quiet about it."

Loki snorted in amusement, kissing his daughter's forehead tenderly. He and Amelia were, at that moment, blissfully unaware of the day they were about to have.

By lunch time, Kari's tearful disposition was becoming quite the problem. Amelia couldn't hold onto Kari _every _minute of the day - she needed to be able to go to the bathroom or cook a meal or simply have a few quiet moments to herself, and she couldn't do it all with a baby in her arms. Which meant, inevitably, she had to put up with intervals of inexplicable wailing.

Presently, Amelia was sitting on the couch in the communal room, slumped forward with her elbows leaning on her knees, staring at the screaming baby who was sitting in his carrier right in front of her at her feet.

"Baby, I'm _right _here," Amelia murmured, still completely uncertain as to why Kari was inconsolable whenever he wasn't in mama's arms. He'd been needy for attention before but _this _was just a little bit ridiculous, and it was beginning to worry Amelia that there might be some sort of underlying problem.

He refused to suck on a pacifier, spitting them out whenever one was placed in his mouth, and no amount of soft, cuddly toys or rattles could soothe him either.

"Maybe he's tired?" Tony suggested with uncertainty, which garnered weary looks from both Amelia and Loki, "Uh, or not? Just… putting out ideas." He had to raise his voice to speak over Kari's clamorous volume.

"We've tried everything, he's never cried for this long," Loki pointed out, peering down at Aster to check up on her. She was also in her carrier, a big frown on her face, probably getting a little put off by the racket her brother was making; it was likely only a matter of time before it became too much for her and cause her to start crying too.

"And he's definitely not hungry or in need of a new diaper?" Steve inquired.

Loki merely glared at the man, answering his question wordlessly. Of _course _they'd tried changing and feeding him. His diaper was clean and he'd drank his fill of milk, but the moment he was out of his mother's arms, the weeping began anew.

"What if he's in pain?" Amelia murmured anxiously, reaching down to caress Kari's cheek. The baby clung to the offered hand, his bawling stalling for just a moment before he realised she wasn't going to actually pick him up.

"I don't think that's it," Bruce spoke up, "I don't know a _lot _about babies, but if he was in pain, surely he would continue to cry even as you hold him. The fact that he only cries when you put him down suggests to me that he... well, he just doesn't want you to put him down."

"But… but _why?" _Amelia worried her lower lip between her teeth, "I don't understand why he's just started acting like this today. He was totally fine yesterday." He had been a bit snivelly before bed the previous night, but they'd managed to get him to sleep without too much trouble.

"Maybe it's colic," Bruce shrugged his shoulders, "but that usually doesn't progress past four months, and tends to begin a few weeks after birth…"

"What is colic?" Loki frowned.

"It's when a baby cries a lot for no apparent reason," Bruce explained succinctly.

"Well, that certainly seems to be the case here," Loki stated with a hint of frustration, motioning an accusatory hand toward the screaming infant.

Amelia groaned in agitation - she didn't want to have to deal with a moody Loki as well as a moody baby, so she gave in and picked Kari up into her arms, sighing in relief when the child grew quiet and content. The sound of a baby's cry was just so distressing and difficult to ignore, and she felt awful just watching Kari whimper and whine.

She held Kari to her shoulder, rubbing his back with gentle circles, and Kari began to babble in a much happier way.

"Oh, yeah. He definitely just wants to be held by you," Tony concluded from what he had just witnessed.

Amelia was half hoping Clint would magically turn up and do his little baby-calming trick he had done the other day to get Kari to stop crying, but both he and Natasha were away on a minor mission and wouldn't return to the tower until late that night. She wasn't entirely sure she had the willpower to hold out until then.

* * *

Loki placed down his mother's old journal with a sigh of resignation; he'd been hoping to find answers, that maybe there had been a time where he had spent hours inconsolably crying as an infant, and that his mother had found a solution, but there wasn't any indication upon the old, frayed pages that such a thing had occurred.

He glanced to his left, where Amelia was sitting upright against her headboard of the bed, eyes closed, while Kari slept in her arms, and wondered for a moment if he'd get away with taking the child to his crib without causing him to stir. Amelia was exhausted and in dire need of restful sleep, but they could only manage to get Kari to sleep for less than an hour before he woke up again searching for his mother, unless he was sleeping _in _her arms.

Loki shifted gently, rose from the bed and walked around to the other side with the intent of taking Kari from his wife's arms, but as soon as his fingers brushed Amelia's, she spoke rigidly.

"Don't, he'll wake up." She opened her tired eyes, blinking miserably up at Loki.

"You need to get some sleep, love," Loki argued softly, waiting expectantly for her to acquiesce, but she shook her head.

"I won't be able to sleep if he's crying."

"And you can't sleep while holding him."

"I don't know what to do," Amelia tearfully admitted. Loki was well aware the sound of Kari's cries was practically painful to her, and that was why she was so unwilling to hand the boy over, because she would have to endure the sound of Kari's desperation and need while unable to provide the constant attention he desired.

"I'll figure something out," Loki decided, "I'll go for a walk, see if I can find some way to soothe him. You just worry about getting some sleep, alright?" In a way, Amelia was lucky that Loki wasn't Midgardian, because if he was mortal, he may have been as exhausted as Amelia looked, and then they _both _would've been at their wit's end.

That wasn't to say Loki was confident he could figure out what little Kari needed, but he hoped that if all else failed, Kari would slowly tire himself out on their walk through the city - Loki had heard from multiple sources that background noise was good for sending children to sleep, so he hoped it would work on this occasion.

Amelia seemed hesitant, but ultimately nodded her head and allowed Loki to take Kari, she tensed in anticipation, waiting for the crying to start, but blessedly the boy did not stir immediately. It was only a matter of time though, Loki knew full well, so he gently placed Kari in his carrier seat and slipped into the disguise he'd started using in public.

There had been an incident the previous week where he had almost been recognised while he was out with both Amelia and the children, which would have been disastrous in his mind, so Amelia had suggested a light disguise would work. A simple hair tie and a pair of glasses were what she had given him, and when Loki had questioned if such a flimsy veneer would actually succeed, she cited something called the '_Clark Kent Effect' _and appeared confident that it would.

Even he had found his reflection to be _so _unlike himself that he decided very quickly it was worth trying, and since then he had not had a single person double-take in his direction; it was like he was invisible without actually _being _invisible. A very useful facade.

Loki was certain that Amelia had already fallen asleep in the two minutes it had taken him to retrieve his shoes and coat, which was clearly indicative that she was finally relaxed after being on edge all day long. He paused to lean over Aster's crib and brushed his thumb softly over her temple as she slept, musing that she was far more composed than her brother, but he wanted to get Kari out of the room before the boy inevitably woke up and, by extension, woke Amelia up with his crying, so he did not waste another moment. He carefully lifted Kari's carrier and exited the room.

He was halfway down the stairway to the bottom floor when the telltale noise of whimpering caught his attention, and Loki glanced down at his stirring son. He was disappointed but not surprised, a small part of him had hoped Kari wouldn't wake at all and that whatever had ailed his mind all day had been cured, but it was simply not going to be.

"Your mother is sleeping, little one. She's exhausted after the day you've given her," Loki explained in a quiet tone, "I'm just taking you for a walk, feel free to go to sleep if you feel the need."

The boy answered his assuring words with, _surprise surprise,_ a whine that grew steadily in volume until it became piercing screams. Loki sighed and continued through the foyer and out the door, ignoring the looks he received from the receptionist and the guard staff.

It was 8:12pm when Loki left the tower and the sun had not yet dipped below the horizon, leaving a dim blue light to set across the city. It would have been quite serene, were it not for the tumultuous noise coming from the tiny boy in his carrier. How could such a small being make so much noise?

He walked fast but steadily towards Central Park, thinking that perhaps there was a chance little Kari would appreciate the greenery of the surroundings, and received a multitude of looks from the people he passed by - thankfully no looks of recognition. The humans mostly sent him sympathetic or amused looks which he paid no mind, but an annoying few did pin him with suspicion. Gods, they better not think he was _kidnapping_ the boy; while it wouldn't have been a problem for Loki to escape some cops, he had no interest in playing cat and mouse while carrying his young, screaming son.

He just wanted some damn peace and quiet, he didn't need any foolish midgardians making things more difficult for him.

Loki had almost managed to drown out the sound of Kari's cries by the time he arrived in the park; he found an isolated bench and sat down, paying no mind to the few people who stared at the baby as they walked by, and positioned Kari's carrier to face him, giving the boy a drawn out look, searching his face as if he'd be able to communicate with the boy telepathically.

"How are you still crying?" Loki asked, "Is your throat not hurting?"

He suspected Kari's throat _was _hurting, but his reason for wanting his mother apparently overloaded the need to not have an awfully sore throat.

"If you keep crying in my face like that, it's going to hurt my feelings," Loki joked, but Kari found no amusement in his jesting.

Loki frowned. His son looked so helpless and upset, and Loki lamented that he couldn't just give the boy exactly what he needed - it wasn't fair on Amelia, she needed to be able to sleep instead of holding onto Kari all night just to keep him from wailing. They had to find a better solution.

He tried rubbing his fingertips in soothing circles over Kari's scalp, and while it dampened his cries very slightly for just a moment, it was not sufficient enough.

Loki wondered whether there was an emotional reason for Kari's state as opposed to screaming out of necessity for basic needs. His endless cries had started that morning - had something happened overnight to prompt such a reaction? What if Kari had had a bad dream? Did babies as young as four months even have bad dreams? Infants interpreted the world around themselves a lot differently to adults, but perhaps it was still possible that he had dreamed up a nightmare that left him in such a way only Amelia could soothe.

"I don't know if you're scared or worried about something, but you don't have to be afraid, little one. I am here, and I always will be," he spoke gently to the boy, holding onto his flailing arm, "I'll always protect you."

It was no use. Kari was not assuaged.

Loki sighed, leaning against the back of the bench and pinching the bridge of his nose. It wouldn't do very well to return to the Tower without having alleviated Kari's problems.

A few rough minutes passed as Loki tried to think over the volume emanating from his son's lungs, and was soon interrupted by the voice of a midgardian woman who had been going about her evening.

"Let me guess, you a new parent?"

With tense shoulders, Loki looked up at the woman who appeared to have stuck her nose into his business and made assumptions about him - it didn't matter that the assumption was, on this occasion, correct - he still did not care to entertain the woman's nosy inquiry with an answer.

"You don't need to answer, I can tell you're a new parent," she snootily replied to his scathing silence, "I've got five little rascals myself, aged three to eleven, so I guess you could say I'm experienced in the field of parenting."

Loki really did not care.

The woman was already grating his nerves. She was a fair bit older than Amelia, maybe by ten years or so, with blonde straw-like hair and stress lines on her forehead. Her voice was high-pitched, but not in a cute way like Amelia's, and she wore strikingly red lipstick and purple pigment on her eyelids. In Loki's opinion, her makeup did not look good in the slightest.

"Good for you." Loki's retort was dismissive, a perfect reply that any normal person would interpret as the ending to a conversation, but this dumb midgardian woman continued to stick her nose where it wasn't wanted.

"Do you want some advice? You seem to be struggling with your baby."

"I don't need your advice."

"Hmpf, how rude. I'm just trying to help." The woman probably thought she was doing him a big favour, but she was so very wrong.

"No, you're making things worse. Stop talking to me," Loki said outright. It was true, the prying woman's presence was clearly agitating Kari even more. His cries had grown stronger and were beginning to sound like a plea for help to get him away from the infuriating woman.

"You shouldn't be so ungrateful!" The woman snapped.

Loki scoffed at her, unclipping Kari's harness so he could pick the child up out of the carrier and hold him protectively to his chest, hoping to ease his perturbation a little. Kari's fists curled around the fabric of his coat, another indication that he was upset by the woman before them.

"I was just going to tell you that when they're crying like that and they're not stopping, you shouldn't give 'em attention cause it'll only make things worse. You need to put 'em in their cribs and ignore 'em, let 'em self-soothe and they'll quit crying for long periods of time."

Loki was appalled by the woman's words. He would never in a million years leave his children alone crying in their cribs. The very idea rubbed him the wrong way. He gently rubbed Kari's back, promising never to treat him in such a way. Infants may have been difficult to communicate with but they were still _people._

He let his lip curl up in disgust and kept his voice level, "I truly pity your five children."

The woman went red in the face and raised her voice, "How _dare _you! You don't know anything about parenting! You're not even _holding _your baby properly!" She made the error of gesturing with her hands a little too closely to the infant in Loki's arms, looking very much like she was about to reposition him.

Loki swatted her hand away in the blink of an eye and stood, rising to his full, intimidating height as the woman stumbled back slightly, "Keep walking, or we're going to have a _very_ big problem." His voice was a low hiss, and the woman appeared to sense the threat below his words, cause she clutched her hand to her chest and rushed away.

Any curious pairs of eyes from the humans within earshot smartly averted their gaze as Loki surveyed them with a glare, daring them to make the same mistake the nosy woman had. He was all wound up tight from the encounter and wanted to return to the tower.

As he moved to grab Kari's carrier with his free hand, he suddenly realised that the boy's screams had mostly ceased. Loki looked down at the baby in the crook of his arm in surprise, eyes wide as he tried to figure out what had possibly calmed him. Kari was still a bit whimpery and had yet to release him, his little hand clutching the lapel of his coat.

"You feeling okay now, little one?" Loki inquired tentatively, worried that the child could be set off again at any moment.

Kari blinked a few times slowly, and then opened up his mouth in a big yawn; a smile pulled at Loki's face, along with a feeling of relief that settled in his chest. "I'm not surprised you're tired. Sleep, Kari, I'll take you home." Loki elected to carry the boy home in one arm instead of placing him back in the carrier, lest Kari found it to be unsuited for falling asleep in, and walked steadily back in the direction to the tower.

By the time he arrived back at the Avengers Tower, Kari was sound asleep, lulled by the distant hum of tires on tarmac several streets away, and Loki revelled in the sound of _peace and quiet. _Amelia would be happy to know he had managed to soothe the boy. However, he was a little bit frustrated that he still did not know what had caused Kari's day-long outburst in the first place.

Babies were truly a mystery.

Loki didn't want to risk riding in the elevator in case it disrupted Kari's sleep, so he took the stairs up to the communal floor and made his way down the hallway past the living quarters.

The sound of voices gave him pause. He halted at the entrance to the room and spied Romanoff and Barton talking to Stark - they must have just returned back from their mission as they still appeared to be wearing their fighting gear.

"Oh, hey," said Stark upon noticing him, "you got the kid to stop crying? Hallelujah."

Loki glanced down at Kari, nodding his head in assent. "At least."

"Has he been giving you trouble today?" Romanoff asked, amusement prevalent in her voice.

"He's been crying for no reason. All day."

"No reason, huh?" Barton parroted, a smirk pulling at his mouth.

Loki's brow furrowed, "It would seem so."

"And what got him to stop?" The archer continued his line of questioning and Loki fought the urge to blatantly roll his eyes, remembering his promise to Amelia that he would _try _to be more civil with the man.

"Well," Loki began, taking a breath, "I was accosted by a midgardian woman in the park who attempted to give me unsolicited advice on parenting, which I declined, then she started shouting that I was rude and ungrateful, and accused me of holding Kari incorrectly. Then she tried to grab him."

Barton raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by Loki's unanticipated tale, "...and?"

"I may have threatened her. It's a blur." Loki prepared himself to receive an earful about the morality of threatening humans, but was pleasantly surprised when Barton nodded in apparent approval of his actions.

"Sounds like she deserved that."

Loki blinked and murmured, "Yes." That was unexpected.

"So he stopped crying after that?" Romanoff asked, stepping closer so that she could get a good look at Kari sleeping cosily, his little hand still lightly hanging on to the lapel of Loki's coat.

"Yes. I am still not sure what precipitated his crying, until now he was only calmed when Amelia was holding him. It doesn't make sense to me but… I'm not complaining." Just so long as he didn't restart the cycle all over again tomorrow.

"Sounds like he only felt safe with his mother," Barton suggested.

Loki scowled, "What?"

Barton's hands went up in front of him defensively, "I'm just saying, perhaps he got anxious and the only thing that could soothe him was his mother, because he felt safe with her. Don't take it personally, babies get like that sometimes."

"I wasn't taking it personally," Loki mumbled, the frown still heavy on his face.

"Well, maybe you showed him that he could feel secure with you too, when you got rid of that woman who was bothering the two of you." The archer shrugged.

Loki stopped himself from automatically telling Barton his hypothesis was stupid, because on reflection, it _did _sound like it could make sense, and Loki knew Barton had children of his own, so his supposition wasn't completely unfounded.

"What would have prompted him to think he was unsafe with me to begin with?" Loki inquired, and he really didn't mean for his tone to sound so despondent, but it came out that way anyway.

Barton shook his head. He didn't know the answer to that one.

"Well, at least he's happy now, huh?" Romanoff pointed out, smiling at the sleeping baby, "I'd like to see him tomorrow when he's awake." This time, Loki did subtly roll his eyes. He was going to have to get used to the fact that everybody in the Tower wanted to hold and play with the babies.

Romanoff left the room, and Stark exited too, on his way to his lab to write some notes about the mission she and Barton embarked on that day, leaving Loki alone with the archer. An awkward silence followed as Loki and Barton stared at each other for a drawn-out moment, before Barton cleared his throat and moved to walk around Loki.

But Loki had something he wanted to ask about, that he admittedly couldn't think of anybody else to ask - something that had been bothering him ever since that woman in the park had poked her nose into his business.

"Did you-" Loki quickly cut himself off, his pride reminding him that Barton was an annoying human who was far from anyone he would call a friend.

Barton stopped, looking back at him with raised eyebrows, waiting expectantly.

Loki quietly sighed, "Did you ever... ignore your children when they were crying as infants? And let them… _self-soothe?" _He regretted asking immediately, but waited courteously for the archer to acknowledge his question with an answer.

Barton searched his face, seemingly trying to figure out what had urged him to ask such a question, or rather what had urged him to ask _Barton _a question at all, seeing as they weren't on great terms.

"What brought this on?" The archer sounded curious.

"It was something the intrusive woman in the park suggested."

Barton tilted his head back in understanding, but continued to pin Loki with an almost suspicious look. After a moment of quiet contemplation on Barton's part, he spoke again, "Do you _actually _value my input?"

Loki loathed to admit his next words, murmuring hesitantly, "As an… experienced parent… you may have beneficial insight."

"I'm sorry, can you say that again?" Barton mocked with a smirk.

"You heard me," Loki hissed, "I don't need to repeat myself."

Barton laughed, his gaze falling to Kari and then back to Loki, "Alright. Here's what I think. _Self-soothing _is not something a baby can learn. Do you think babies actually cry for no reason?"

Loki frowned, glancing down at Kari curiously. He had thought so, earlier that day, after trying absolutely every idea under the sun to get the boy to stop crying, but after what Barton had suggested, about Kari not feeling secure, he wasn't sure.

At his extended silence, Barton continued, "Does Amelia ever cry for no reason?"

Loki quirked an eyebrow, "Yes."

"Tell me an example of when that has happened."

"What does that have to do with babies?" Loki was beginning to think Barton was wasting his time instead of sharing anything particularly insightful.

"Humour me."

This time, Loki didn't try to be subtle about rolling his eyes, "On occasion, Amelia has had bouts of unpredictable sadness. It happened often during her pregnancy. We figured it was hormonal."

"Right," Barton nodded, "so the hormones caused her to feel sad, and the sadness caused her to cry. She wasn't crying without reason, then."

Loki blinked.

"Just because the feeling of sadness had no trigger and was irrational doesn't mean she wasn't _feeling _sad, right? You gotta remember that children are just small, helpless people who can't communicate. They still have feelings and emotions. They're brains are developing rapidly, especially at Kari's age, and he may experience fear or sadness when there's no clear cause that we can pinpoint. Babies don't cry for no reason."

Loki had felt the exact same way when that woman had spat utter nonsense about her _self-soothing method, _he just hadn't been able to discern exactly why it had pissed him off, but Barton worded his feelings on the subject perfectly.

"Where are you going with this?"

"Babies don't cry for no reason, and babies don't learn to soothe themselves when they're ignored. They may stop crying, but not because the reason for their crying has passed. They'll stop crying because they realise there's no _point _in crying if their parents will simply ignore it. That doesn't solve the problem, and it's awful for child development. If a child feels there is no use in crying over emotional needs because they know the parent will not come to help them, what if they choose not to cry for an urgent need? A life-threatening need?"

Barton's explanation was becoming crystal clear. The woman in the park had had _five _children - when Loki had told her that he pitied her children, he'd just been trying to rile her up, but now he truly did pity her children.

"I see." Loki said.

Barton nodded and then, while smiling almost smugly, added, "Any more questions?"

Loki could tell the archer was revelling over the fact that he had come to him for help, that he had needed Barton's parental advice. With a scoff, Loki responded, "No, that will be all."

"Great," Barton replied flatly, and then walked around Loki to leave the room.

Amelia would not approve of the rather contemptuous way he had brushed Barton off after the archer had offered his guidance on a small matter, and Loki wished he hadn't promised Amelia that he would try to be nicer to the man. His desire to make his wife happy won out over his pride.

"Barton," he said quickly without turning around. Even with his back to the man, Loki could tell Barton had paused in step and was looking back at him. He opened his mouth, and then closed it, and then opened it again, closing his eyes exasperatedly at his own reluctance, and then scathingly breathed out the word, "Thanks."

The ensuing quietness was telling. Barton was no doubt shocked that Loki had shown gratitude, because it took him a full twenty seconds to say, "Yeah, no problem."

Loki waited for the archer to exit the room before curling his lip in dismay. He'd actually shown appreciation for Barton, how _mortifying. _If the human dared to use it against him in any way, he would- _he would-_

He wouldn't kill him. Amelia would _really _hate that.

He would knock him around a bit, for certain.

Loki sighed. The time was ticking and he needed to get little Kari into his crib so the boy could get some restful sleep.

On the way up the stairwell to the correct floor, Loki found himself wondering, if Barton had been right in his hypothesis that Kari had felt unsafe - except in Amelia's arms - then what had caused it? He had been fine thus far, it was only that morning that he had started acting up; the only notable thing that had happened out of the norm was the little argument he and Amelia had had the day before in the nursery.

Could Kari have been affected by that?

Glancing down to the infant in his arms, Loki tilted his head curiously. There had been a few separate occasions in which both Kari and Aster had reacted to the negative emotions from himself and Amelia. Perhaps they were both empaths. It was safe to assume they were both very in touch with the emotions of their parents.

If it was true, it meant Kari had clearly taken his mother's side of the skirmish.

A small smile pulled at Loki's lips. A mama's boy through and through.

"I love you, your sister and your mother," Loki whispered in reassurance to the slumbering boy, "I'll always be right here for you all." It was no empty promise.

Loki kissed Kari's forehead before laying him down in his crib that night, and soon after crawled into bed with Amelia, who was still peacefully sleeping, and kissed her goodnight too.

* * *

**The name of that woman who chose to go for a late night stroll and worm her way into Loki's business? Karen McKarenson.**

**If you enjoy this fic, please leave a comment!**


	24. Watching Over You

**So sorry for the gap between the last chapter and this one! The weather here in England has been so unbearably hot and it's so difficult to write when I'm physically cooking alive in my stuffy little bedroom with awful ventilation. And the fact that I cannot stand even the slightest rise in temperatures.**

**It's a 20 celsius today so I was able to finish this one off! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-Four: Watching Over You

Aster was sick.

Amelia had noticed during her daughter's morning feed that her nose was steadily running, and that the snot was slightly yellow in colour. No amount of wiping her face with a gentle tissue was enough to stop it. That had been the first indication, and it had taken Bruce all of two seconds to deduce that the poor thing had a cold coming on.

Loki had been taken aback by the realisation, "They aren't immune to Midgardian illnesses?" He had naturally assumed that his innate immunity would be passed down to his children and that it wasn't something they would have to worry about, but clearly this was not the case.

"Apparently not," Bruce had responded before pressing the back of his hand to Aster's forehead, "She doesn't appear to have a fever. Nothing too concerning, but definitely let me or one of the other medical staff know if anything changes. For now, just make sure to be careful when she feeds - she might have trouble breathing if her nose is completely stuffed up."

Amelia watched Aster like a hawk the entire morning, checking almost every five minutes for signs that the baby had caught a fever. The running of her nose did not let up, and her nostrils had turned a sore red by midday; Aster's discomfort was clear from the way she whined softly every so often, just on the precipice of crying.

"Oh, my poor baby," Amelia cooed as she stroked Aster's head, running her fingers through the thin hairs there. Her daughter looked up at her with a very disgruntled expression on her little face, eyes squinting tiredly, and Amelia hoped she would not be afflicted by the cold for too long.

With any luck, it would last only a few days, no longer than a week, and it would remain a mild inconvenience rather than progress to something more severe.

Thankfully, Aster managed to sleep easily most of the day, and Amelia was glad she could slumber through the discomfort rather than be forced to endure it while awake. She just hoped Aster would continue to rest through the night.

It was clear that Kari was confused by the fact he was being kept away from Aster - they were at least trying to save him from coming down with a cold as well - and that the break in the norm was upsetting him. Usually Kari and Aster spent a lot of their waking hours in close proximity playing with, or chewing on, their toys together. That day, however, Kari did not get his typical playtime with his sister, and was being entertained by either Loki or Natasha - it didn't stop the baby boy from looking around searchingly to try and catch sight of Aster.

Amelia insisted she nurse Aster back to health, despite Loki's offer to closely watch his daughter; Amelia didn't quite want to let the baby go, the motherly instincts within her told her to keep the girl close at all times, even though she absolutely knew that Loki would dutifully ensure the child's comfort.

In the afternoon, Aster's breathing grew a little wheezy and she let out little coughs every now and then, though she still hadn't shown any signs of being feverish, which was relieving; Amelia cradled her as she sat on one end of the couch in the nursery while Loki sat at the other end, Kari sitting upright in his lap with support.

The boy gurgled and babbled and grumbled endlessly in dismay at being held apart from his sister, occasionally shaking the rattle clenched in his little fist, as if trying to get Aster's attention. It was incredibly endearing and sweet, the two of them would no doubt be thick as thieves as they grew up.

Loki seemed worried about Aster; the insistent lines on his forehead and the furrow of his brow giving his feelings away plainly.

"She'll be okay," Amelia assured her husband, "colds usually last no more than a week or so, she will be fine after that."

"What if she falls ill like you did?" Loki inquired gently, grabbing Kari's free hand playfully and running his fingers through the boy's thin curls with his other hand by way of soothing him.

Amelia knew he was referring to the illness she contracted when she was pregnant, the one that put her in the infirmary with a high fever. Loki had transformed into his Jotun form to keep her temperature down, likely saving her from what could have been a very bad situation - his fears weren't unfounded.

"Well, that was a severe case," Amelia pointed out, "so far Aster just has a snotty nose and a slight cough, no fever. If she had a fever, then we would have reason to worry, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Besides, if she _did _develop a fever, we have some of the best doctors in the country just a quick call away, _and _we can always contact Inga if you think she would be more helpful than human doctors."

"I would be more at ease if we were in New Asgard, where we could have Inga present in less than a minute if need be," Loki went on to say. Amelia knew that if Loki had his way, they'd live in Asgard permanently.

"I know you would, but we can't go running to Inga at the slightest little problem. What next? We go to Inga because Kari gets a splinter in his finger and you only trust her to expertly remove it?" Amelia spoke teasingly, smirking as Loki glared wearily at her, "What I'm saying is, we're going to need to learn how to look after them when they're sick. We need that level of independence, just in case we're ever in a situation where we can't just hop onto the Bifrost and get off at the stop closest to a healer."

If Aster was showing signs of a more severe illness, then it would be different, but for a runny nose and a slight cough, she felt it would be a little silly to waste a doctor's time when she knew more or less what they would suggest anyway. Amelia fully understood Loki's fears, it was normal for a parent to worry about their young child when they were sick, but she was confident Aster would turn out to be fine so long as they kept a close eye on her.

"Why would we ever be in a situation where the help of Asgard is not readily available?" Loki challenged, one eyebrow raised.

"Gee, I don't know," Amelia began in a playfully mocking voice, "we could get kidnapped and taken halfway across the universe in a mysterious spaceship or something."

Loki eyed her for a moment, a serious edge to his gaze despite the fact that Amelia had very clearly been joking around, and then he quietly spoke, "No. Never again... I won't be so careless as to let something like that happen again."

Amelia sighed. The incident with Eruk almost a year prior had been out of Loki's control, she knew that, but he failed to see it that way. He always had and probably always would personally blame himself if anything bad ever happened to his family. Amelia also knew that if she tried to tell him it wasn't his fault, he would not accept it, so instead she reached over and laid a hand on his knee, squeezing comfortingly.

"Aster's gonna be fine. She'll be back to her energetic, determined self in a week or less," Amelia assured him.

Loki placed his own hand over Amelia's, giving her a small smile in acknowledgement of her words.

Unexpectedly, Kari pressed his rattle down over both their hands as if he'd been trying to copy the gesture but was unable to do so with his short arms. The action caused both Amelia and Loki to laugh aloud.

"Oh, you sweet little pumpkin," Amelia giggled. She couldn't express just how much she loved her beautiful children; some days she simply stopped to ponder just how incredible it was that she and Loki had created such lovely little beings. She couldn't wait to watch them grow up.

Aster coughed a little more steadily, a helpless little raspy noise that pulled at Amelia's heartstrings; she lifted the girl to her shoulder and rubbed her palm in circles on Aster's back, giving her gentle pats to help her clear the mucus from her throat.

Amelia sighed sadly when Aster's coughing subsided only to be replaced with crying. The little one was in pain, and Amelia just wanted her to be healthy again, it was difficult to listen to Aster whine and weep in her discomfort.

"I can take her," Loki suggested, "you've been holding onto her all day, so it would give you a break."

Amelia paused in her hesitance to hand the baby over to her husband, but ultimately decided that it was unfair of her to cling to Aster all day long when the child might find more comfort in her daddy's arms.

"Alright," Amelia stood and placed Aster in her nursery crib, "let me just wash my hands and change my shirt before taking Kari. Don't want him to catch her germs." After cleaning up a bit, Amelia returned to pick up her son, who gurgled excitedly and shook his rattle, and Loki came to Aster's rescue, picking her up and shushing her gently.

He performed the same circular motions on her back that Amelia had, and this time Aster was pacified more quickly, despite the continuing coughs expelling from her throat. She wasn't crying now that Loki was cuddling her, but Amelia didn't take that personally.

Loki hummed the lullaby his mother used to sing for him, and before long Aster was blinking tiredly and nodding off while Amelia entertained Kari until he too settled down for a nap. It was approaching 9 o'clock at night by the time Aster once again made her displeasure audible and began croaking and crying in her crib.

Her noises quickly woke Kari, who cried along with her, as he tended to do, and Amelia once again felt the pangs and twinges of Aster's affliction deep within her soul. She needed to do something.

"I'm gonna take Aster into the nursery and feed her, and then see if I can get her to sleep more comfortably," Amelia explained determinedly, knowing that keeping her extra hydrated would aid well in her recovery, "this is gonna be easier if we settle them separately, so you deal with Kari, I'll be back when she's asleep."

Loki could hardly argue with somebody who sounded so resolute, even if he knew he could soothe Aster faster than Amelia could, so he simply nodded his head and did as his wife suggested.

"It's okay, sweetpea," Amelia murmured to her daughter as she picked the girl up out of her crib, "we're gonna make you feel better, alright?"

She left the bedroom, walking down the hall to the adjacent room which had been set up as the nursery, and rocked Aster gently in her arms. The baby paused her crying only to cough, the sound of mucus trapped in her throat was dismaying and Amelia lifted the girl to her shoulder, patting her back gently as she had done that afternoon.

Amelia sat on the recliner and cradled Aster, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead to check her temperature. She seemed warm but not worryingly so; her cries seemed raspier, but Amelia figured that was probably a result of a sore throat brought on by the hacking. A little milk would probably soothe it.

"Alright, little one," Amelia spoke calmingly, opening up her robe so that Aster could feed; the child began to drink quickly, revealing that she was clearly thirsty, and Amelia took special care to make sure her airways were clear every few seconds, otherwise Aster would struggle to get a breath in.

While Aster drank, Amelia hummed songs in the hopes of lulling the girl into a more serene state. Kari usually appreciated his mother's voice more than Aster did, but it seemed to work this time. Aster's eyes drooped somewhat as she suckled and Amelia smiled, a swell of victory at the fact she had managed to calm her daughter without Loki's help. _Success._

"That's it, sweetpea. Mama's got you," Amelia whispered, shifting the child into the crook of her elbow as she seemed to be done feeding. She kept Aster's head elevated a little but not quite upright, to help stop the mucus from pooling in her throat again.

Unfortunately, the movement seemed to knock Aster out of her trance-like state and she looked up at Amelia, sniffled, and began to whine as a precursor to more crying.

"Oh, no, Aster- it's okay, sweetie," Amelia whispered, the swell of victory quickly dissipating into slight dejection. How exactly did Loki do it? What was it about him that left Aster utterly and completely pacified? It could've been his voice or his scent, or something else entirely, but Aster very much loved her papa over anybody else. Amelia supposed Loki had probably wondered the same thing about Kari.

In a bid to think of something and not resort to calling for Loki, Amelia decided to try and use her magical energy to hush the baby. She hadn't had a lot of time to practise with it since the babies had been born, and she knew already that since the birth, her powers had heavily diminished. Inga had surmised that a large portion of the magic had rooted itself into Kari and Aster instead of remaining in Amelia's body, which was supported by the fact that her attempts to use the magic since were lacklustre to say the least.

Where her magic had once been strong enough to form a basket-ball shaped sphere of energy in her palms, it was now no larger than a marble. Still, not all she had learned had gone to waste - and Loki assured her that with practise, her magic would likely return to the same level it had been on.

For now, Amelia lifted one hand, palm facing upwards, into Aster's view, and concentrated real hard. It was difficult to focus with Aster's weeping as background noise, but Amelia was dead set on bringing the girl some tranquility on her own, without the help of her husband, and that purposive resolve fuelled her energy.

The small, green ball flickered to life, brightening the dimly lit room, and the moment it appeared, Aster paused in her cries, observing the sudden arrival of the physical manifestation of magical energy with a hint of fascination. Amelia smiled again, knowing the girl was very much full of curiosity and an urge to learn.

Aster tilted her head, inadvertently rubbing her snotty nose on her mother's robe, and Amelia gave a snicker, "Thanks for that," before watching as the girl reached out with one inquisitive hand, resting it on her mother's palm.

The green energy pulsed weakly with warmth, and Amelia let her eyes slip closed to pour her concentration into changing the shape of the ball. Loki had shown her how to do it a few times, warping the ball into shapes made of light, creating symbols or animals - it was just another attribute of his illusionary skills.

Amelia turned her marble-sized ball into a butterfly, which fluttered its wings as if it were real, and let out a breath as the magic stabilised. The butterfly flitted to sit on her finger, and Amelia brought it closer to Aster.

The girl was captivated by it, her weepiness and her cold forgotten, and she gently swatted at Amelia's palm with her own, a sweet little action that showed her muted excitement at her mama's magical energy. Amelia giggled, willing the incorporeal butterfly to flitter over to Aster's face. It landed on her nose, and Aster's eyes opened wider, her green eyes reflecting the green magic brightly as she looked up, cross-eyed in awe.

Aster tried touching it, but her fingers phased through the green energy, it didn't seem to bother her that she couldn't pick it up. The butterfly flew up to her forehead, and Aster babbled a few syllables that sounded like "buh-buh-buh," to which Amelia smiled widely and whispered, "Yes, but-ter-fly!"

Amelia was glad that Aster was doing well, her spirits raised to the point that her cold didn't make her so miserable.

After a few minutes, Amelia found herself wonderstruck when the room suddenly _filled _with butterflies, bright little insects fluttering around the room, making Aster gurgle in amazement; _Amelia _wasn't doing that - her magic wasn't strong enough to manifest so many of them at once.

Her gaze went to the door that was slightly ajar, and she saw Loki's eyes peering through from the other side. The moment he saw that Amelia had caught him out, he stepped into the room with a smile on his face, the butterflies continuing to dance around the room, leaving beautiful ribbon-like trails in their wake.

He cradled a snoring Kari in his arms, and moved quietly to sit by Amelia's side.

"These are pretty," Amelia whispered, eyes flicking to the stunning magic-made display, and Loki smiled coyly.

"I was inspired."

Amelia grinned at the veiled compliment.

"How is the little one doing?" Loki asked, leaning over to press the side of his head to Amelia's.

"Much better now that she has a lovely magic show to watch," Amelia answered, "she really enjoys magic - she's gonna be a little spellcaster when she grows up, learning all the spells, taking after her daddy. I'm sure of it."

If there was anything that could distract little Aster from the torment of a cold, it was definitely her father's magnificent display of sorcery. Given that the little one had stopped crying and coughing all at once and seemed to be a lot better very quickly, Amelia couldn't help but think Aster might've been putting on a bit of an act - that it wasn't quite as bad as she made it out to be. She had cried for her daddy's attention and it had made her cough more, but now that she was content, the coughing didn't seem to be a problem.

"She's already taking after you in the fact that she's a little drama queen, that's for sure."

Loki shook his head, rolling his eyes with a small mirthful smile.

* * *

**Please leave me a comment! Does anybody have any ideas they want to see me write because for real, I have so many ideas for things to happen later in the fic when the children get a bit older like toddlers, but I'm not entirely sure what things to write about for the immediate next chapters.**

**In the next chapter, I'm thinking of skipping ahead a tiny bit and having the babies learn how to crawl! What do you think? They learn to crawl and Loki and Aster have to suddenly be aware that their little ones could zip off without them noticing? ^_^**


	25. Precarious Petite Pioneer

**Has anyone played the game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout on PS4? Because it's fucking addictive as heck and I've been a tad distracted from writing because of it. MY MOST HUMBLEST APOLOGIES. I hope this chapter makes up for it!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-Five: Precarious Petite Pioneer

Kari was the first to figure out how to crawl. Everyone had been present in the living quarters when it happened; the two babies were sitting in their little play-area in the centre of the room, safe-guarded with padded flooring. Aster and Kari had been squeezing, shaking, chewing all of their favourite toys, and then Kari had flapped his arm a little too enthusiastically, and the soft kangaroo toy that was pinched in his hand flew several feet in front of him.

Amelia had been the only one to notice while the others spoke amongst themselves, and had intended to get up and return the toy to her son, knowing it was his favourite toy to play with, but instead, she waited, wondering if the boy would take the initiative and retrieve the plushie himself.

Kari looked to her, a big pout on his face, and Amelia thought he might cry when it became apparent she wasn't going to get up and bring it back to him. He stared forlornly at the out-of-reach toy, which seemed awfully dramatic, until a switch appeared to click in his mind, and he shuffled forwards onto his stomach, stretching out his arm to try and reach it.

He was still a few inches shy, so he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees.

At that point, Amelia practically slammed her hand down on Loki's, which was resting affectionately on her knee, and her husband quickly followed her gaze with concern, until he saw where Amelia's attention was.

Kari crawled tentatively towards his toy and resumed sitting on his butt once he had the kangaroo plush in his grasp, continuing to admire the soft texture of its fur, oblivious to what he had just achieved.

Amelia was delightful. "_Yes! _Ooh, my smart little boy figured out how to crawl!" She sang as she hopped off the couch and knelt by the child, quickly picking him up and cuddling him enthusiastically.

Kari squealed happily at the attention and the high-pitched sing-song voice with which his mother spoke to him - he knew she was pleased about something, and that in turn made _him _joyful, even if he didn't know exactly what he had done to receive such praise.

It was a big step, one that Loki was also excited about, but he would probably show that excitement later that day in the privacy of the nursery instead of gushing to his son right in front of all the other Avengers.

"Crawling already?" Stark remarked, "It feels like they arrived in the world only yesterday."

Stark was right, it _did _feel like the babies had only been born the day before. It had gone by in a flash, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it duration of time that had Loki wondering how long it would be before Kari and Aster were walking and talking. Loki didn't want them to race to grow up, he enjoyed taking care of them and he knew he would miss these days once they had passed.

It was best to savour them.

Aster looked clueless as to why her brother was receiving all the cuddles and her mama hadn't come to hug _her _yet, so Loki knelt by the couch, several feet from his daughter, and beckoned her towards him with his arms outstretched.

Aster knew that outstretched arms meant he wanted to hold her, because she put her arms up all the time when she wanted her dada to pick her up, so Loki knew there wasn't a lack of communication there, but would Aster take the initiative and crawl to him instead of waiting for him to come to her?

The child stared at him for a moment before mimicking the gesture, stretching her arms out towards Loki as if to say 'yes, come pick me up,' but Loki shook his head, chuckling to himself.

"No, you come to me, Aster."

In a moment of improvisation, Amelia placed Kari back down and tossed his kangaroo toy towards Loki's feet, hoping the little boy would chase after it again, "Go on, Kari, show Aster how to crawl!" She gave him a pat on the butt to encourage him.

For a moment, Kari looked at Amelia with a look that could be interpreted as exasperated. A noise of displeasure left his throat. He seemed offended that his mama had chucked his favourite toy across the room when he had just spent all that effort crawling across the floor to retrieve it - _and _been commended for it. Thankfully, the determined little boy slowly inched across the padded floor towards where his kangaroo was positioned.

"Look, Aster! Watch what your brother's doing! What's Kari doing?" Amelia indicated her son, hoping that Aster would understand that she was meant to copy him. She and Loki had only been trying to urge Aster to crawl for a couple minutes, but Amelia was already frustrated that she couldn't communicate perfectly with her daughter. It would be a lot easier if the two tots were already speaking, but it would be a while yet before that occurred.

Kari reached his kangaroo and happily hugged it to his chest, immediately putting the toy's ear in his mouth so he could chew on it. Amelia figured the texture of the soft toy probably felt good in his mouth because he had a knack for sucking on it.

Loki tapped his finger against Kari's nose, "Good boy," he praised him and stroked the boy's head affectionately before looking back to Aster to see if she was feeling a little left out. If the tremendous pout on her face was anything to go by, she was most definitely feeling left out.

"Come to me," Loki beckoned her again, "crawling is _not _that hard, don't cry about it."

"Hey," Amelia interjected, "it's pretty hard for a baby who doesn't know how to crawl, Loki."

Loki shushed Amelia, smirking when she harrumphed, and continued to urge Aster towards him, picking up and shaking nearby toys to try and coax her closer.

"Hey, kid, if you crawl to your pops, I'll make you your very own Iron Man suit," Stark promised, and Loki rolled his eyes at the man's vow.

Aster's pout only grew more powerful, squinting her eyes slightly as they filled with tears, and Amelia had to put a lot of self-control into not sweeping the girl up in a loving hug. She needed to figure it out on her own, and the sooner she got it, the better.

Kari crawled back to Amelia the moment he realised he could carry his kangaroo toy in his mouth and move at the same time, which was oddly humorous - like he was a mother cat carrying its young. This time, Aster set her sights on her brother, paying attention to what he was doing.

It was most fascinating to watch the cogs turn behind the little girl's green eyes. The way she tilted her head was utterly adorable and it instantly reminded Loki of the way Amelia sometimes cocked her head sideways when she was thinking intently.

Something clicked in Aster's head and she quickly shuffled forward onto her stomach and tried to copy her brother. Instead of pushing herself up onto her hands and knees, she was prone on the padded flooring, shifting onwards like a leopard stalking its prey through tall grass. She didn't move as gracefully as Kari, but her method still got her from point A to point B, and she soon found herself in front of her father.

Her smile melted Loki as he picked her up and cuddled her as a reward. "Good job," he whispered - although she hadn't crawled properly, he knew she was a fast learner and would quickly take after her brother.

Loki was correct in his conjecture. Three days later, Aster had already gotten the hang of crawling and was just as active as Kari - the two of them were now mobile and crawling around in circles. They seemed most happy when they were chasing each other around on the soft carpet of the nursery floor, making joyful noises such as squealing and laughing.

It was an exciting and wonderful sight. Soon enough they'd be walking, running, and talking; Loki was most excited to teach them how to use magic, and to tell them stories of the battles he had fought long ago. He could picture himself dramatically recreating his memories in place of bed-time stories, revealing the valiant skirmishes he had fought in, and how he had used his magic and wit to overcome his foes. He hoped his stories would be entertaining for his children.

It was around lunch time in the Avengers Tower when Loki found himself alone in the communal living room with his two babies. Amelia was upstairs taking a shower as she hadn't yet gotten the chance that morning on account of the children being very fussy since they'd woken up, and Loki had taken it upon himself to feed them both.

They'd recently started eating baby food alongside their usual amount of breastmilk, which gave Amelia a break, but it was quite a venture getting them to eat when they were not in the mood for cooperating.

"Come on, don't be difficult," Loki mumbled as he tried to scoop a small amount of cauliflower-cheese flavoured baby food into Aster's mouth. Half of it had fallen onto her bib and the other half she was vehemently denying, turning her head away as she attempted to spit what he _had _managed to spoon into her mouth.

Eventually Loki sighed and offered the food to Kari instead, who was sitting in the highchair just next to his sister, patiently awaiting his turn for some delicious mushy goodness. Kari, unlike Aster, was happy to accept the mashed cauliflower-cheese, enthusiastically tilting his head forwards to gobble up what was on the spoon in a rather amusing fashion.

Loki hoped Aster would once again take after her brother's example and decide to gracefully accept the food instead of spitting it out and making a mess, but when he once again brought a small spoonful to her lips, she turned her head away again.

"You can't be telling that you don't like this. It smells fine, Kari likes it. It's cauliflower-cheese," he told her, as if she would suddenly change her mind at his declaration, but no matter how many times he tried, she just wasn't interested.

"Fine," Loki sighed, "be that way, then." He fed the rest of the small jar to Kari, who kicked his legs joyfully - he was definitely going to be a foodie when he grew up, perhaps he would even take an interest in cooking just like his mother, then there would be _two _expert cooks in the family. The thought of that was very pleasing to Loki.

"Right," Loki spoke when Kari had practically licked every inch of the jar clean, "you two can play for a bit while we wait for your mother." They had an outing planned, just a sweet walk through Central Park so that the babies could enjoy the colours of nature and get some nice, fresh air.

Loki picked Aster and Kari out of their highchairs and placed them on the padded flooring area one by one before taking the empty jar across the room to the kitchen for disposal. His head was turned for a total of about ten seconds, and when he looked back to his children, he noticed that Aster was not where he had placed her.

Swallowing the sudden and inadvertent lump rising in his throat, Loki quickly returned to the middle of the room, looking around the furniture with rising trepidation. She couldn't have gotten far in the time it took Loki to reach the kitchen, she was only _tiny, _and yet she was not hiding anywhere around the couches. She didn't appear to be anywhere in sight.

"Aster?" Loki called out to the room, expecting to hear her babble in response - she knew her name and she knew when he was trying to get her attention, but the baby did not respond and Loki felt his stomach roll over on itself.

"Kari, where's your sister?" Loki asked, raising his voice just a tad, "Where is Aster?"

Kari, who was sitting on the floor playing with his kangaroo toy, looked up at him with wide eyes and did not give him an answer.

Frantically, Loki began to search around the room, making sure to keep Kari in his peripheral at all times - one missing child was bad enough but _two _missing children would be grounds for Amelia to absolutely throttle him.

"Aster? Aster, do you want cuddles?" He called out, trying to sound approachable by a baby's standards. He hoped that maybe he had said the word enough times that she recognised and associated it with hugs, because he knew his little girl couldn't resist being held by him.

After a few minutes with no progress, Loki was beginning to feel his pulse quicken; his heart thumping behind his ribcage like an animal trying to escape its confinements. He hadn't felt this anxious in a long time, hadn't felt genuinely _scared_ since perhaps the babies had been born.

It was _not _a good feeling. Aster was six months old, she was a tiny, helpless child and she could easily find herself in a fatal situation. He shouldn't have taken his eyes away from them for even a moment, but he foolishly underestimated just how much ground a child could cover in ten seconds.

A sudden thought brought him more dread. What if Aster had managed to crawl out the room and was now making her way down the hall - what if she made it to the stairwell and fell down the stairs?

"As-Aster?" Loki called again, this time shouting, and he almost tripped over himself as he grabbed Kari and lifted him quickly, almost jogging to the entrance of the room to glance down the hallway. He couldn't see any movement. Surely she hadn't been able to go so far?

"F.R.I.D.A.Y?" He remembered the building's A.I system was always watching, "Where is Aster?"

He held his breath, waiting for a response.

"Aster is in the living quarters," the femenine voice responded matter-of-factly, and Loki felt a small amount of relief in knowing she hadn't left the room - but _where _in the damn world was she hiding?

"_Where _in the living room?" Loki asked tightly.

"Aster is in the living quarters," F.R.I.D.A.Y replied rather unhelpfully, and Loki scoffed, placing a confused Kari back down on the play mat.

"Aster?" Loki called again, stepping lightly around the couch, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of movement other than Kari.

That's when he heard it - the quietest little giggle, and he froze. He could hear blood rushing past his ears from the strong beat of his heart, but he did his best to latch on to the sound, quickly locating the direction it had come from. The coffee table.

Loki took two strides towards the low coffee table in the centre of the couches, and it seemed to prompt the little hide-and-seek expert to flee from her hiding place. Aster squealed, crawling like a bullet from her space below the table, trying her best to get away from her father.

"_Aster!" _Loki snapped, not quite in a gaming mood.

The little girl flinched and stumbled in her crawling, looking up at him with enormous eyes that were regrettably full of fright from Loki's unexpected shout. In the brief few seconds before Aster burst into tears, Loki felt awful for bellowing her name so clamorously, and tried desperately to shush her. He picked her up and immediately held her to his chest even as she cried miserably, bouncing her slightly and whispering gentle apologies into her ear.

"What on earth is going on?" Amelia's voice fluttered through the room, and Loki stared at her with his mouth hanging open for a moment.

"Nothing, everything's fine." He was _not _going to admit to Amelia that he had lost Aster for a good few frightening minutes and had proceeded to shout his head off at her the moment he found her, explaining just why she was bawling in his arms.

"Well it doesn't look like nothing," Amelia argued, hands on hips, "why's she crying?"

"I don't know," Loki lied, "Who knows? It's just a thing babies do, right?" He knew as soon as he spoke the words that it was probably the worst lie he had ever told. Even the lies he had told his mother as a mischievous child, framing Thor for eating his after-dinner sweet treats when he had actually been the one to eat them, just so he could get another treat and so his brother would get in trouble, had been _far_ more convincing than what had just left his mouth.

"Really." Amelia said, unpersuaded.

"I think she's annoyed that you were taking too long to shower," Loki tried instead.

"Wow," Amelia tilted her head, squinting her eyes. Blessedly, she let it go for the moment, but she looked like she would bring it up at a later time to try and get to the bottom of it - for the moment though, Loki would continue to act like he had no part in making Aster cry, and promised the little girl extra cuddles by way of apology.

Mental note, hide and seek with a six month old was _not _a good idea. But at least Loki knew that his daughter would grow to be explorative, and _just as mischievous as him._

* * *

**That mischievous little thing. SHE JUST WANTED TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK, LOKI, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO YELL AT HER!**

**What should happen next? Returning to Asgard to see Uncle Thor for the first time in three months? These kiddies are gonna have grown massive from his perspective? Maybe the mighty king gets a little emotional at how quickly they're growing? LEMME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS WANT!**


	26. A Minor Reprieve

**WHY did this chapter take me so long to write? I feel like I've been gone for centuries, I'm so sorry. I have been really busy and not had a lot of time to write :( Plus I've been doing more hours at work, all I want is MORE TIME to be able to write, ya dig me?**

**Anyway, sexual content ahoy because I need to make it up to you guys ;)**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Minor Reprieve

Amelia was slightly embarrassed at the idea which had popped inconspicuously into her head the day before she, Loki and the babies were due to return to Asgard. It was innocent at first. Once Aster and Kari were settled in the palace once again, Amelia wanted to ask dear uncle Thor if he and Inga were free to babysit for the day - or at least for an afternoon - so that she and Loki could have a rest up.

It had been a little more of a struggle as of late, with Aster and Kari both learning to crawl, it made most mornings and evenings a bit of a hassle getting them in and out of their onesies and ready for the day, because all they wanted to do was crawl around, refusing to sit still for even a minute.

Diaper changing was even worse. Babies weren't _aware _enough to realise just how disastrous it could be for them to explore the room before they were all cleaned up, and it had caused a few mishaps that were rather unpleasant. Why did those two little rascals have to be _so _active?

Either way, Amelia was just a tad exhausted. She wasn't entirely sure whether Loki felt just as drained, or if she was the only weary one due to the fact she was human. For all she knew, Loki probably had enough energy left to run several times around the Earth before the enervation would even begin to show on his face.

Regardless, it was time for Amelia and her husband to have a little time to themselves, and with their return to the Asgardian palace, she was confident that Thor and Inga would be perfect candidates to fill the roles of babysitters.

It was delightful to touch down in the palace's courtyard with the help of the Bifrost, to be greeted with the eager, warm face of Thor, who appeared just as excited to see them again. It had been three whole months, and in that time the babies had grown an overwhelming amount. It wasn't as noticeable unless Amelia was _really _thinking about how big they had gotten in comparison to the day they were born, but for Thor - as somebody who hadn't seen them for a chunk of time, it was plain as day.

"They're so _big!" _Was the first thing out of the king's mouth as he glanced back and forth between the baby in Amelia's arms and the baby in Loki's arms. They were awake and fidgety, still looking a little frazzled from the rainbow light that had engulfed them minutes earlier, but thankfully weren't crying.

Thor's smile was blindingly bright, as it always was whenever he looked upon his niece and nephew. "It's so good to see you both again," he spoke, sounding almost relieved that they were finally back.

"How have you been faring without me here to keep this place afloat?" Loki inquired casually.

Thor snorted, rolling his eyes at his brother, "Well, the palace is still standing, isn't it?"

His joking tone made Amelia giggle, and she stepped forward to hug Thor, noting that he was very mindful not to squash Kari in the enveloping embrace he gave her in return, "We've missed you, Thor," she said softly, stepping back so that Kari could get a good look at his uncle. "Who's this?" Amelia mock gasped, pointing up at the king as she observed Kari's face, "Is it a big teddy bear? A big teddy bear that wants to give you a big hug?"

Kari's string of giggles was evoked by Amelia's lilting voice, he looked up at Thor with a wondrous smile as he was handed over, seemingly very comfortable with being held by the king - Amelia was glad, because a part of her had been worried that the babies wouldn't remember him after being away for three months, but it seemed like she hadn't had to worry at all.

With Kari cradled in one arm, Thor looked expectantly to Loki, offering his other arm to take Aster. Loki sighed, rolled his eyes, and passed the girl to his brother; Aster clutched the material of Loki's jacket as she usually did when she didn't want him to let go of her, but after a little bit of coaxing, she actually paid attention to who she was being handed to, and seemed to relax upon recognising him.

"Look at you both, look how you've grown," Thor doted, and in response Aster reached her hand up and dragged it across her uncle's chin, feeling the scratchiness of his beard. She looked at her hand, an almost startled look on her face, probably from the sensory feedback of feeling the short, coarse hairs, and then she did it again, running her hand through Thor's facial hair.

"Oh, do you like my beard?" Thor spoke as if he had received the finest compliment. He carried the babies back into the palace, with Amelia and Loki trailing in behind, as if they were his own, and told them just how much he had missed seeing their little faces, and how excited he was to have them back. They were too preoccupied with touching Thor's beard or his cape to really pay any mind to what he was saying to them.

It was two days later in the banquet hall at lunch time that Amelia began to think thoughts that were less than virtuous.

If Thor and Inga agreed to look after Aster and Kari - and Amelia had no doubt that they would do so happily, and have a great time doing it - she and Loki would have plenty of time to do… _things. _Things that they had been wanting to do for a while now. Things that had to be pushed aside in favour of looking after their two children.

Amelia had paused partway through eating as her mind went adventuring to the more titillating areas of her brain, pushing pleasant images into the forefront of her thoughts; she found herself staring openly at her husband across the table, thinking about all the things she would do to him the moment she had the chance.

He ate his buttered bread slowly, his intent gaze on Kari who was currently in the care of Thor - the king was playing with him, the little boy sitting on the table in front of him, and Amelia figured the concerned hint in Loki's stare was owing to the fact that he feared Kari could fall off the table at any moment. Amelia would share this concern if it wasn't for the fact that Thor was clearly ready with his hands to scoop the boy up the moment he chose to move even a muscle. Loki was, as always, overly protective.

He had nothing to worry about, Thor had already shown Amelia many times that he was serious when it came to ensuring the safety of the little ones whenever he got the chance to hold them or play with them.

It didn't change the fact that Loki looked very attractive when his brow was furrowed in concern, especially when pointed in the direction of his children. Amelia found it incredibly sweet just how closely he kept an eye on them.

Amelia wanted to touch him in the privacy of their royal bedroom, to unbutton his silky green shirt and push the material down over his shoulders so that she had access to his beautiful, pale chest. She'd graze her fingertips over his skin until he shivered at the feather-light touches and she would absolutely relish the moment. She would kiss him slowly, their hot lips pressed together, drinking each other in, swallowing each other's moans.

Amelia could feel her lower abdomen growing hot inside with desire. It had been _too damn long._

She could perfectly visualise in her mind just how things would go; Loki would grow impatient with her teasing contact and take control, manhandling her into position with her back against the soft mattress of the bed, he'd crawl over her and begin kisses every inch of her body, doing everything he could to make her desperate with need, trembling from his ministrations, and he would make her beg before finally giving in.

The thought of having Loki inside her gave her pleasant tingles between her legs, and she subconsciously pressed her thighs together.

"Amelia? Hellooooo? Oh dear, I think your mother is in a trance," Signy's voice fluttered through Amelia's focus and she inhaled quickly, realising there was saliva slowly escaping the corner of her mouth. She had been caught drooling, _ugh._

Amelia quickly wiped her mouth with her sleeve, her cheeks burning bright red as she looked to Signy beside her, then down to Aster who was being gently bounced in the Asgardian woman's lap, looking up at her with a curious expression.

"I'm fine, sorry," Amelia quickly answered her friend, noticing that Loki's stare had drifted to her in her peripheral vision. He gave her an odd look, and Amelia shook her head dismissively, shrugging her shoulders as she tried to look inconspicuous and not like she had just been envisioning herself getting fucked by her dear husband.

Amelia looked down the table, spotting Inga and Thor making silly faces at Kari. She needed to ask them at some point, but she knew it would be difficult to convince Loki to take the kids off his mind for one day so that they could do what they wanted in peace. Which left Amelia only one idea - to ask Thor and Inga in secret and then spring it onto Loki on the day.

* * *

It was only seconds before Amelia opened her mouth to ask her brother-in-law whether he could watch the kids that Thor, the King of Asgard, was likely a very busy man. He was in charge of a whole kingdom, there was no way he was going to have the time to watch Aster and Kari for an entire day. But Amelia had come this far, so it was worth a shot asking.

"Hey… Thor." She began awkwardly. Loki had taken Kari off to change him, which gave her a few spare moments to broach the question to the king, so she couldn't dawdle for too long or her chance would quickly pass - it was difficult to get away from Loki without arousing any suspicion, and Amelia wasn't the greatest liar.

"Are you enjoying being back at the palace, Amelia?" Thor queried. He was presently entertaining Aster, playing peekaboo by repeatedly hiding and revealing a little plush toy bear, and the little girl seemed very amused by it.

Or maybe she was just very amused by Thor.

"It's wonderful and I'm so happy to be back, but I wanted to ask you something," she trailed off, hesitating, and Thor looked up at her, a hint of consideration in his gaze. Amelia pushed herself to ask, "Um, well… for the past six months, we've constantly had our hands full with the kids, so we haven't really gotten a day to ourselves at all. I know you're super busy, so I won't be shocked if you say no, but I was wondering… perhaps… would you and Inga be able to watch them for a while? Just for tomorrow - or maybe just the afternoon - so we can, ah, have a little time to… recuperate."

She made sure to be vague about exactly why she was requesting this of him, because being candid with him about the matter would bring her a lot of embarrassment. However, the king smirked, his eyes alight with understanding, which made Amelia think that he probably knew precisely why she was asking.

"Amelia, I'm never too busy to do you a favour. I may be the king, but I'm also Aster and Kari's uncle. I'd be happy to watch them for the day," he glanced at Aster, giving the little one a wink, "isn't that right, little one? We'll have some fun tomorrow while your mother and father take a break."

Relief washed through Amelia's body, the gratitude showing on her face, "Thor… thank you, you don't know how much I appreciate this. Oh, but- I haven't told Loki yet, kinda wanted to surprise him," she gave a bashful grin.

"I see," Thor looked amused, "Inga and I will take them at breakfast in the morning and return them in the evening, you can count on us - we'll take good care of them."

"I know you will," Amelia sighed, "thank you again, Thor. You're awesome, you know that?"

Thor grinned as Aster reached up and began rubbing her hands through his beard again, "Oh yes, I'm well aware."

* * *

Amelia knew for a fact that Loki had picked up on her excitable energy when they had settled in for bed that night, partly owing to the fact that she kept shifting every five minutes and struggled to get to sleep, and perhaps also because she couldn't stop smiling as she snuggled up to her husband, imagining with extreme enjoyment all the things they would get up to the next day.

She was no better the next morning, her high spirits blatant as she performed her morning routine, making sure the babies were fed, changed and happy for when Thor and Inga would take them off for the day. Loki still had no idea, and it wasn't long before the king came knocking.

"What are you so chipper about, exactly?" Loki inquired after exiting the bathroom to the sound of his wife humming melodically - not that that was an unusual occurrence, but it was obvious Amelia had been hiding something from him since the night prior, and Loki usually would've figured out what that was by now.

"Just delighted to be back in Asgard. It's a beautiful place and a whole different atmosphere from the busy city," Amelia explained, the words rolling off her tongue - very conveniently, it wasn't a lie.

"Hmm," was Loki's succinct response. He came around the bed where Amelia was sitting on the edge and eyed her with suspicion, eyelids lowered in a narrow gaze, eyebrows furrowed; his intense scrutiny made her shiver, and the little smirk on his face made her feel electrified, further solidifying the fact that she and Loki needed a day together to fuck through the sexual tension.

"Are you going to tell me the real reason, or not?" Loki asked in a low voice, crossing his arms over his chest.

Amelia bit her lip, glanced over to the kids and then back up to her husband and shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not gonna tell you yet, you'll find out soon enough." Loki quirked an eyebrow at her mischievous answer, clearly he hadn't expected her to say that, and it only fuelled his curiosity. He started looking around the room, trying to figure out what on earth Amelia was hinting at, to which she laughed.

Then, just on time, there was a knock at the door.

Loki paused his perusal of the room, looking curiously to the door and then to Amelia. "Yes?" he enquired loudly, expecting a response from a maid or a guard, but instead received a reply from his brother.

"Loki, I'm here at Amelia's request!"

Now Loki's eyebrows were quirked in suspicion, narrow and angled at his wife, "_Why?"_

Amelia snorted and called out, "Come in, Thor!" She stood and approached the cribs to check on the mood of her babies. Kari was sucking on his own big toe and Aster was sitting up, looking awfully impatient and exasperated at the fact she had not been picked up, despite having already received cuddles earlier that morning. Overall, they appeared content in that they weren't about to cry their heads off for any particular needs they may have. Good. She hoped Thor and Inga would have an easy day taking care of them.

"Why exactly are you here?" Loki questioned as his brother walked through the door with Inga stepping in behind, the Asgardian woman trying her best to hide the knowing smile on her face.

"I'm here for the children," said Thor, shuffling up to Aster's crib. As soon as Aster spotted the opportunity for attention, she raised her arms expectantly, and Thor abided her request, lifting her up into his arms joyfully; the baby babbled happily, her hands going immediately to his beard - Amelia suspected that she found a sensory delight in feeling the coarse hairs against her palms, it was utterly adorable to witness.

Loki glared at his brother for a few moments before scoffing, "Tch. Go make your own." He stepped forward to take his daughter back but Thor withdrew, turning quickly so that Aster was out of her father's reach, and the king looked to Amelia for help.

"It's okay, Loki," Amelia chuckled, "I asked them to watch the kids for the day."

Loki looked at her like she was mad, "Come again?"

Inga walked around Thor to pick Kari out of his crib and the baby boy rewarded her with a gleeful squeal, "How's this little darling this morning?" Kari reacted positively to her sweet, melodic voice, giving her a huge open-mouthed grin.

"Thor and Inga have agreed to watch the kids today, so that we can have a day to ourselves," Amelia explained, carefully watching Loki's reaction, "I figured it was about time we had a short break, and the kids are more than happy with these two."

Loki narrowed his eyes and sighed as he looked back at his brother. He seemed to eye the kids with uncertainty, mulling it over in his head - forever concerned that he could never be sure the kids were safe if they weren't with _him, _and him alone. This was exactly why he needed a break, in Amelia's opinion.

"Thor and Inga will look after them, you don't need to be worried," Amelia tried, "your brother is one of the strongest people we know, and if they fall ill or somehow get hurt, Inga is literally the best healer." The couple in question brightened at the praise.

Amelia stood from the bed and came to her husband's side, holding onto his forearm, batting her eyelids delicately, "Come on, love. It'll be fine." Loki examined his wife's face, and Amelia made sure to throw in the extra cute puppy-dog eyes - after a few seconds, his brow unfurrowed and he turned his eyes on Thor and Aster.

"You best behave," said Loki.

"Oh, I'm sure she will," Thor laughed.

"I was talking to _you." _

Thor's smile turned into a pout, but it didn't stick for too long, "Right, well, we'll take these two down to the breakfast hall and feed them. We were thinking of taking them for a walk in the gardens, and then they can have their nap after that," Thor smiled at Aster, "does that sound like a good idea, little one?"

Aster made what _sounded _like a noise of agreement, and that was all the reassurance Thor needed. Amelia quickly fetched the duffel bag full of baby supplies - from diapers to bottles of milk she had pumped that morning, and a few jars of baby food for later in the day; she had outlined the day before when they would need to feed them milk and when they could treat them to some solid food.

"Aster can be a little fussy with the solid food, so make sure she eats at least half a jar, but if she insists on refusing it for more than a few minutes, don't force it," Amelia explained, "oh and when you're changing Kari's diaper, I've found that singing a song tends to keep him occupied and he won't try to crawl away." She handed the bag over and proceeded to give both Aster and Kari a kiss on the forehead, "If you end up _really _struggling with them, I will understand if you need to bring them back… they can be a handful."

A small part of her felt almost forlorn to part with them, if only for a day, but she knew it was only because it would be the first day since they were born that she would be apart from them. Perhaps that was also the reason Loki was reluctant to watch Thor take them away for the day.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Inga assured them, "I've cared for infant patients before, so I know how to look after babies, you need not worry."

"Thank you for this, we owe ya one." Amelia smiled, and gave her children a little wave as Thor and Inga left the room. She knew there was truly nothing to fear, but she hoped Aster and Kari would behave - their mischievous streak was almost too much for Loki to handle sometimes, what with their propensity to crawl away at the worst of times.

The door fell shut behind them, and Amelia sighed, feeling her body flop slightly in relief, before she turned to Loki, and was surprised to find him pinning her with a low-key glare.

"What?" Amelia squeaked, finding immediate amusement in his expression.

Loki stepped towards her, his frame slightly hunched as if he was stalking his prey, "Nice of you to talk things through with me, Amelia," he began, sarcasm on full display, "I wonder what kind of plans you have for us today, given that we are unlikely to be interrupted. Do you perhaps want to visit the library, maybe partake in a game of chess? Or did you have other things in mind?" He was just teasing her now, and Amelia did not appreciate being teased, especially since she'd been wound tight since the day before.

"Well… what do _you _want to do first?" Amelia spoke, her voice low with a suggestive lilt.

"What do I want to do first?" Loki parroted softly, his breath hot against Amelia's neck as he leant in, lips brushing her ear, "Do you even have to ask?"

In an instant, Amelia went from standing upright to being flat on her back upon the bed of soft furs, letting out a short yelp at the suddenness of it, but was promptly cut off as her husband began to kiss her; not like the chaste or softly drawn-out kisses she had received whenever they were in the presence of the babies, but rather something truly desperate and animalistic.

Amelia was practically dizzy with it by the time Loki pulled away, and she saw immediately that his pupils were blown with arousal and excitement, and his cheeks were pink as he panted, a slight quiver in each breath. It really had been far too long if a simple, passionate kiss was enough to set him off like this.

"Loki, I _need _you," Amelia whispered, her heart pulsing in her chest, just as turned on as the man above her.

"Then you'll have me," Loki responded, dipping down to suck the sensitive spots on Amelia's neck, and they _were _sensitive. Amelia struggled to suppress the gasps and moans that Loki's actions pulled from her, she bit her lip, her breaths catching in her throat, and then she realised - _why the hell was she trying to be quiet?_

Loki must have been thinking the same thing, "I want to hear you, Amelia. Don't you _dare _try to be quiet, _little dove."_ He nibbled a spot just below her ear which made her toes curl; she pressed her thighs together in an automatic response, releasing a needy sigh as she tilted her head to one side - she was so enthralled by the feeling of his tongue on her skin that she almost missed the use of _that _nickname.

That wasn't fair. He wasn't allowed to call her that unless she was expecting it.

"Loki, I swear to every god in existence, if you don't fuck me right now, I will _never _suck your dick again." Regardless of whether her words were empty threats, that one always seemed to get her what she wanted.

Loki pulled back, his slightly parted lips wet from the kisses he had covered her neck with, and a subtle smile formed on his face just moments before he took a fistful of her gown and ripped it in half, pulling it effortlessly away from her body like it was made of tissue paper.

"_You-!" _Amelia was caught between arousal and irritation, she'd liked that dress, but she appreciated that Loki wasn't going to waste time fulfilling her desire. He was most certainly about to make it up to her.

Amelia quickly pushed down her underwear, kicking it off the bed before spreading her legs, her breaths coming out laboured and hungry; before she could scold her husband for being overdressed, she caught herself stammering at the sight of his pants already pushed down, revealing his hard cock in hand, more than ready to do as she wished.

"O-oh," Amelia breathed, relieved that they were finally, _genuinely _going to have sex again; her clit pulsed at the thought, and she could feel herself dripping wet, "please- Loki, please."

"No need to beg, my love," he whispered, leaning down to capture her lips as he lined himself up. Amelia felt the head of his cock brush up against her folds and she suddenly grew rigid, her hands flying to his shoulders to push him back.

"Wait, wait, wait!" She cried, much to Loki's dismay. He practically flinched back, confused and concerned at his wife's sudden protests, until she went on to quickly explain the reason for her call to cease, "We- we don't have any birth control!" Her hand went to her temple bashfully, "We forgot to bring condoms." It was perhaps the biggest error, in her mind, but Amelia really didn't want to risk getting pregnant again so soon.

Loki relaxed, letting out a quiet huff, "Inga will have something you can take to prevent another pregnancy." The impatience was palpable in his voice, but Amelia wasn't sorry for wanting to be careful.

"You mean like a morning-after potion?"

"Yes, whatever the fuck that is, you won't get pregnant again, now can I- please," Loki grumbled, clearly agitated at being delayed when his body was clearly so ready. Amelia had to giggle despite herself.

"Yes," she said, squeezing her thighs against Loki's hips.

Loki's cock slipped into her with ease, like a key fitting a lock, and a noise of pleasurable surprise left Amelia's mouth; she could feel the obscene squelch as he pressed snugly inside her and Amelia was flooded with a wave of warmth. It felt so good to have him inside her again.

The sound of Loki's pleasure only spurred Amelia's own, she already felt horrendously close to dropping over the edge, which was both blissful and terrible given they had literally just begun. Amelia's hand buried into his hair, pressing against his scalp, desperately wanting him to be closer still, as if they could meld together into one being of pure, intimate love.

"Mmph… I've missed this," Loki admitted with a groan, "I don't think I can go slow."

"Don't go slow."

Loki grunted. At once, he began to piston his hips in and out of her at a speedy pace, and Amelia let her delight be known to anybody who may have been passing by outside the door at that moment, not even thinking of stifling her rapturous moans.

The expectation Amelia had held since the day before had been that of savouring this moment, allowing herself to drown in the euphoria at a more leisurely pace, but that notion had shattered quickly when it actually came down to it. There was no savouring it. Amelia was drooling for it, and she had definitely been overestimating her own patience.

It was like being handed a glass of water after walking through a hot desert for days, that glass of water wasn't going to be drunken slowly.

Amelia had already tipped over the edge before she'd even realised it. Her orgasm was explosive, zipping throughout her body like ocean waves, again and again, and it left her shaking, the tremors causing her muscles to twitch beyond her control.

Her mouth had opened in a silent scream, followed by noisy moans as she tried to catch her breath. No longer than a minute later, Loki finished inside her, the wet heat of his come filling her up wonderfully.

He trembled as he let himself collapse against her, the silk of his shirt sticking to her nude body due to the layer of sweat on their bodies. Amelia didn't care about that though, she clutched Loki in her arms, holding him tightly.

"Oh, baby," Amelia whined, "we're gonna have to do that at least three more times today."

Loki's responding laughter was muffled against her skin, "I'm counting on it."

* * *

**Meanwhile, in the breakfast hall, Aster is spitting out all the baby food Thor is trying to feed her with and Kari is discovering his inner artist finger-painting with soup on the napkins. **

**I HAVE A QUESTION GUYS, are you all chill with me doing larger time skips? I'm planning to cover all the good main things with first steps and first words, etc, but I wanted to double check that you're all happy for me to jump ahead? I do have a plot for this story but it won't be relevant until a little later in, and I'll be honest, I really wanna get to that plot, LOL.**


	27. Steps to Success

**All of your comments are so friggin lovely! I read every single one even if I don't reply to them so thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to leave a comment when you do! **

**So, I've planned out a lot of my future chapters more in-depth than before and I can safely say that this fic will be AT LEAST 46 chapters long ;) I might stretch it to 50 if I can figure out some cute in-between chapter moments JUST to have that milestone though xD**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter my lovelies.**

**Time skip from the last chapter: The babies are now 9 months old.**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Steps to Success

Aster and Kari were fast learners, especially when they could figure things out from observing each other - two baby heads were better than one, and as such, they were constantly absorbing new information and building on it, demonstrating that they were smarter than the average nine-month-old.

The kicker was getting the idea or notion into their heads in the first place, allowing them to realise they could _do _something, all they had to do was surmise exactly _how _to go about doing it. Once they'd had that realisation, their brains were firing off into problem-solving mode, and it was a simple matter of time before they were able to grasp it.

Crawling, for example, had been clear for the two infants. They needed to get from point A to point B, and they discovered that the only way to do that was to move their bodies in a comfortable way that propelled them forwards. Easy.

Walking, on the other hand, was a far more difficult concept.

Loki and Amelia thought it would be straight-forward enough given how quickly they had picked up crawling, but there was something they hadn't considered about the way a baby's mind worked.

Despite encouraging the little ones to pull themselves onto two legs every day, Aster and Kari both found it far easier to simply crawl everywhere - and why wouldn't they? Why would they put in the extra effort just to be a little bit further from the ground when they move?

They knew they could get from point A to point B through crawling, so what motivation did they have to walk? This was the rather frustrating issue that Amelia and Loki couldn't quite communicate to their little ones, and it resulted in a lot of trial and error. Patience was key, but it was _so _hard to be patient when Amelia was so excited at the prospect of her little ones walking around on two legs and reaching that milestone.

Learning to walk was a _slow _process, that's what all the child-raising books said. Obviously, Aster and Kari needed time to build up the muscles in their legs and to learn the coordination to put one leg in front of the other. It wasn't something that could be rushed.

The first time Aster and Kari managed to stand upright by themselves for more than two seconds, Amelia practically exploded with delight, to the point that she almost cried. She was just so _happy _to see her son and daughter growing up, and Loki had found Amelia's glowing expression to be oh so beautiful.

So, how _did _one convince their child that walking was the way to go? Loki had his methods, which mostly involved bribes. Toys, pacifiers and food; Loki tried anything and everything he knew the kids loved.

They had taken to attempting to teach the children to walk in the nursery, Amelia lifting them up till they were standing on wobbly legs while Loki sat across the room clutching their favourite toys, but it was slow progress. Then again, that was better than no progress.

"Come on Kari. Walk to Kangaroo," Loki urged, shaking the boy's favourite toy in his hand, "if you even _think _about crawling over here again, I will obliterate it."

Kari, thinking it was a highly amusing game, the objective of which was to frustrate dada, immediately launched himself into a crawl, approaching Loki like a torpedo on his hands and knees with a huge giggly grin on his face.

Loki held Kangaroo out of reach of the boy, who proceeded to try and climb up and reach for it, and gave Amelia a weary glance. Amelia licked her lips sheepishly and shrugged, crossing the room to pick Kari up and try again.

It was quite a grind, but both Loki and Amelia knew to stay patient, and that trying to push them to figure it out rather than let it come naturally to them was probably not the way to go. Still, that didn't stop Loki from using certain items to his advantage.

It just so happened, several weeks beforehand, Amelia had discovered that both Kari and Aster were utterly insatiable when it came to chocolate-pudding baby food. They loved the stuff so much that they would get very moody when Amelia put the jar down, claiming that they had had enough.

At least they had found a food that Aster would happily gobble down, and _that _was why Loki figured it was the perfect incentive for two chocolate-loving babies.

Loki stood by the sofa in the communal living quarters, looking quite full of determination as he stared across the padded flooring where his two children were currently sitting and playing with their soft toys. He had the jar clutched in one hand, and a small spoon in the other, and in his head he had a plan.

"Aster, Kari." He spoke, drawing the attention of his two little ones; they both glanced up with wide eyes and curious expressions. Loki walked towards them and knelt down, unscrewing the lid of the jar. They needed to see their prize before he put his plan into action, so that they would covet it accordingly, "You know what this is?"

He held the jar in front of Aster's face first, and she predictably tried to push it away out of reflex, but there was a notable moment where she must have caught the scent of the chocolate, and she instantly changed her mind, trying to grab onto her daddy's hand to bring it closer. When Loki held the jar in front of Kari's face, he very nearly almost shoved his entire hand into it, being the food-lover he was.

Once the babies both knew what was up for grabs, Loki rose to his full height, spooned a small heap of the chocolate pudding, and held it at just the right point where he knew Kari and Aster would be able to reach it if they stood up.

As expected, they began pulling on the legs of his trousers and trying to reach with their arms above their heads, to no avail.

"If you want this pudding, you're gonna have to work for it."

They both used Loki as a crutch to stand up, mouths open like baby birds in a nest, desperate for a taste of the sweet, sweet chocolate-flavoured pudding.

"Okay, good. That's the first step," he fed them each a small heap of it as a congratulations for doing the bare minimum - they needed to know they were going in the right direction, and with any luck they would begin to understand that being up on their feet meant they would be rewarded.

Amelia walked in at that moment and paused mid-step, "Uh, what are you doing?" The sight of Loki bent over, feeding the children chocolate pudding while they wobbled on their legs, clutching onto him tightly was tremendously odd.

"Teaching them how to walk," Loki explained without taking his eyes off the little ones.

"Is that what you're doing? It looks more like you're training puppies, but okay," Amelia smirked as she circled around them, and noticed Loki's nose scrunch up in response to her ridiculous observation.

"You mock me now, but when they walk, you will _praise _my methods."

Amelia almost snorted. He sounded ridiculous, but she supposed there was a chance it might work, and if it did, she would be undeniably ecstatic; so he decided to sit back on the couch to watch and wait.

She watched in great amusement as Loki took small steps away from them, urging them to move with him but ensuring they were still able to grip onto his leg and use it for balance. The children followed him eagerly for another taste of chocolate pudding, occasionally wobbling and falling down, but pulling themselves back up with determination. It was progress to see them taking the initiative to support themselves with Loki's help, but it was beyond funny that the reasoning behind their success was _chocolate pudding._

After a few more moments, Loki stepped away entirely, leaving Kari and Aster to wobble in place, their little faces holding a smidgen of panic as they fought to stay upright, arms flying out to aid their stability, and Amelia froze, waiting to see what they would do.

Loki held out a spoonful of pudding several feet away at eye-level, a prize for whichever child was fast enough.

Rather adorably, Aster's little hand gripped onto Kari's shoulder to help her stay upright, which made Kari wobble further, but he didn't fall. He managed to stay standing, finding his footing after a few awkward moments.

"Come on. Come on, come to me," Loki told them, "just a few steps, come on."

Unwilling to let the pudding get away, Aster stuck one foot out and brought it down in front of herself, transferred her weight clumsily, and then did the same again with the other, letting go of her brother in order to progress.

"_Yes,_ Aster," Loki's eyes shone with pride, and Amelia leaned forward on the edge of her seat in awe that Loki's hilarious idea had actually _worked._

Aster did it again, taking another step as she was spurred on by her daddy's excitement, but her centre of balance must've tilted forwards because she took three steps in quick succession in an attempt to catch herself, before falling forwards against the floor.

While the floor was padded, her face still hit it rather suddenly, drawing a loud gasp from Amelia and causing Loki to go rigid and murmur a quiet 'oh dear.'

Aster looked up, seeing her parents' concerned stares, and then her face scrunched up into a wounded expression as she began to hysterically cry.

Loki reacted quickly, placing the spoon and the jar on the coffee table in front of Amelia before swooping down to lift his daughter up off the floor and into his arms; he held her to his shoulder, petting her hair apologetically. "Hey, don't cry. You did so well," he told her gently.

Clint walked past them at that moment, heading for the kitchen, "Rule one of parenting, _never _react when the kid falls down. They'll only cry if _you_ think they've hurt themselves."

Amelia bit her lip to hide a sheepish grin while Loki glared at the back of the man's head; he lifted Aster up higher and wiped her wet face with his shirt sleeve as the little girl looked back at him with a wobbling lip, naturally ignoring Clint's input.

Kari had long since dropped to his hands and knees again, far too tired to stand on two legs for too long at a time, but his desire for chocolate pudding had not yet been sated. He spotted it on the low table next to his mama and crawled towards her, gurgling happily in contrast to his tearful sister.

"Helloooooo baby boy," Amelia sang, lifting her son up into her arms. She planted a kiss on his forehead and watched as he tried to reach for the jar on the table, "Oh, I see. You weren't just coming to me for a cuddle. You want more pudding, huh?" She obliged him, picking up the jar.

"Is your nose okay?" Loki asked, tapping Aster's nose with the tip of his finger; her eyes were still bleary and she rubbed at them with a fist, sniffing loudly and whimpering. She hiccupped, looked over at mama, and began whining a little louder, pointing in her direction.

Loki turned to see Amelia giving Kari a spoonful of the pudding and chuckled at Aster's pouty expression, "You think some more chocolate pudding will make your nose feel better?"

Aster stared at him with her watery green eyes, her little furrowed brow showing her displeasure at being kept away from the jar of tasty pudding, so Loki carried her to the couch to join his wife, seating his daughter in his lap.

"Good effort today, both of you," Loki praised them, "keep that up, and you'll be running by Christmas." His remark made Amelia snort.

Aster whined steadily until Amelia blessed her with a spoon of chocolatey goodness. One spoon was definitely not enough, and the girl made sure to grumble wordlessly every time a helping was given to Kari instead of her, even though Amelia was distributing it evenly between them and feeding them with alternating mouthfuls.

"These two little chocolate monsters," Amelia murmured, subconsciously quickening the action of lifting the spoon from the jar to Aster's mouth every time she let out a whine - as if the little one was saying '_hurry up mama, I'm starving!'_

"She's playing you both," Clint spoke up on his way back to the couch, a freshly plated sandwich in hand, "she's learned the art of manipulation already - cry until you get what you want, and you're just _giving _it to her." He sounded more amused than anything, and Loki readily shot him another glare.

"Nobody asked for your opinion."

"I was pointing it out for your benefit," Clint defended, "unless you wanna hear Aster crying for chocolate pudding day in and day out."

Regardless of whether Clint was right or wrong, it did not matter. Just this once, at least, Aster would get her fill of pudding, because Loki felt more than a little guilty at pushing her too quickly and causing her fall in the first place.

* * *

**I know this chapter was shorter than usual but I HOPE YOU ENJOYED! Please do leave me a comment letting me know your thoughts!**

**In the next chapter: FIRST WORDS. The next chapter should be longer than this one ;)**


	28. A Figure of Speech

**IT'S TIME FOR LITTLE BABY TO SAY FIRST WORD!**

**My goodness, how far we've come? The kids are around 10 months in this chapter, and so adorable, as always! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Figure of Speech

Kari was an absolute chatterbox. Well, he couldn't speak comprehensible words yet, but he really loved to make noise. He strung together irregular syllables quite expertly, not making sense but certainly understanding the dynamic of a conversation. He knew that speaking noise in the vague direction of a person would garner their attention, and then said person would make noise back, and he understood that it was then his turn to make noise, and so on, which led to delightful moments during playtime with the kids.

Kari squeezed his Kangaroo toy, cuddling it to his chest whilst making plenty of wordless noises before holding it up to his dada, who took it carefully, looking it over curiously; then matter-of-factly remarked, "Hm, his fur _is _a lovely brown colour, isn't it?"

The boy's grin only grew, and he pointed at Kangaroo, another stream of syllables leaving his mouth.

"His fur used to be _purple?" _Loki chuckled aloud, "Don't be silly, kangaroos aren't purple."

Kari squealed, snatching Kangaroo back so he could chew on the stuffed animal's ear.

"Are you _certain? _I've never seen a purple kangaroo in my life, but you sound so convincing, I might just believe it."

This time, Kari gave what sounded like a thoughtful hum, but was probably only just good timing, before dropping Kangaroo to the floor and pushing himself to his feet - now with the developing ability to walk with just a _slight_ wobble to his gait - and he climbed onto Loki's knees where his dada was knelt before him on the floor, little hands gripping the material of his shirt to aid in the boy's ascent.

"Ah-bah bah bah," said Kari.

"Oh, you want a hug? Well why didn't you just say so?" Loki responded, drawing Kari up into his arms fondly, a warm smile on his face.

"Mm-muh," Kari hummed, pressing his face against Loki's cheek, and for a brief moment Loki thought the boy had almost said 'mama', but another moment of consideration had him surmising that he was simply copying the action that Amelia often performed when she kissed the children on the cheek and over exaggerated the 'mwah' sound.

Loki chuckled, rubbing his hand through Kari's thin, black curls. The boy was very affectionate and smiley, a pure copy of his mother, who loved to endlessly shower both him and his sister in kisses and snuggles.

"Where's mama, hmm?" Loki asked the boy. At his current age, Kari likely recognised the word 'mama', but didn't understand that it referred to his mother, however, he did seem to acknowledge that the word only seemed to pop up when Amelia was around, thus prompting him to turn his head and try to seek her out.

Amelia had gone to change Aster in the next room over, she probably wouldn't be gone for much longer, and Kari would no doubt be happy to see her reappear. The boy was _always _happy to see his mama.

Loki tapped Kari's nose, smirking when the boy swatted playfully at his hand. Amelia had a sort of no-stakes 'bet' concerning Kari; she thought she could get the boy to say 'mama' before _Loki_ got the boy to say 'dada', and that whoever won the game was the 'winner'. There was no prize for the winner except for bragging rights - it was just a harmless challenge that Amelia had proposed.

It had led to Amelia and Loki repeatedly telling the boy "Kari, can you say 'mama'?" or "Say 'dada' and you can have more chocolate pudding," until the little one got bored and returned to playing with his toys instead of entertaining his mother and father. He had yet to actually grasp _words, _and got easily overwhelmed when his parents got in his face and requested he say specific things, at which point he would blow raspberries at them or throw a toy at their faces.

They deserved it, to be honest. There was no sense in hounding the boy to say something; the kids had already proved that they learned at their own pace.

However, Loki had a small secret.

He wasn't overly competitive with the notion of being the first word out of Kari's mouth, and there was just something about Amelia's enthusiasm and excitement that had Loki hoping the boy would say _mama _before anything else.

Which was why, whenever he had a moment alone with Kari, when Amelia had just so happened to walk out of earshot or left the room for whatever reason, Loki sat Kari down, looked in the boy's eyes and demanded, "Say 'mama'."

Amelia didn't have to know, and Loki would hopefully get to see her eyes light up like fireworks when Kari's first word _was _inevitably 'mama'. He practically drilled the word into the boy's mind.

"Kari, I know you don't understand me, so we're going to _make _you understand. You _have _to say 'mama', preferably when mama is in the room. When you say 'mama', you will make your mama _very _happy, and you know what a happy mama means for you? All the chocolate pudding you could ever ask for. I mean it. Say mama. Say mama. Say mama. Mama, mama, mama," Loki spoke over and over, repeating the word loud and clear.

Kari chewed on Kangaroo's ear again, looking idly up at his dada with an oddly surprised look. Maybe it was because Loki had given him a full on speech and usually, with the boy's understanding, he usually gave him a few words and then paused to let Kari speak instead of rambling on like an idiot. _Or _perhaps Kari was confused because 'mama' wasn't the word that dada usually asked him to try and say, and he had picked up on the switch around.

"Kari," Loki said determinedly, "say _mama."_

"Ub-bub-bub-bub-bah-bah," Kari exclaimed instead, pointing at Loki's face.

Loki feigned a gasp, placing his palm over his chest in mock offense, "How _dare _you say such a thing?" Kari happened to find his dada's response incredibly hilarious, because a stream of hysterical giggles escaped his mouth then.

Amelia walked in at that moment with Aster balanced on her hip, "What? What did he say?" From the hopeful, surprised look in her eyes, she must've thought her son had actually managed to string a word together.

"He said that my face was hideous. Can you believe this? My own son…" Loki faked a wobbly lip, looking away and blinking his eyes as if to dispel tears.

Amelia rolled her eyes, understanding her husband's jesting and snorted, placing Aster down beside her brother. She sat before them, booping little Kari on the nose and beaming at the grin he gave her.

"Hello, pumpkin. Can you say 'mama'?"

Loki smiled, eyeing his wife briefly - she probably assumed he had spent every last second trying to get the boy to say 'dada' while she was out of the room, but she was so very wrong. He looked to his son next, who turned to look at _him, _holding eye contact for an amusingly long time; Loki wondered what was going on inside Kari's head.

"Not dada. _Mama," _Amelia articulated, "you gonna speak for me, bug?" She used the nickname for her son endearingly and Kari smiled in response.

"Uhh-bah… bububub," Kari mumbled, lifting himself shakily to his feet so he could fall into mama's arms for a hug. Amelia obliged him, cuddling him securely with a happy sigh.

"Mm, very insightful words," Loki pointed out as if speaking with the utmost seriousness, making Amelia giggle.

"Nice to know he inherited your levels of articulation," Amelia joked, rubbing circles on Kari's back, "Bet he'll be great at telling stories when he gets older, just like his dada."

"Ah-da," Kari murmured, and Amelia suddenly froze.

"No," Amelia said, "Noooooo no no, you say _mama, _okay bug? Mah-mah," she quickly reprimanded herself for even saying the word 'dada' in front of the boy, because of _course _the one goddamn time she said _that_ word, Kari would try and repeat it.

Loki laughed at Amelia's overreaction, "Sounds like he almost said dada. Is that a win for me?" While it warmed his heart to hear his son very nearly _almost _say dada, he still held out hope that Kari would say 'mama' before anything else.

"No," Amelia gave her husband a playful glare, "he didn't say it, it doesn't count."

"Well then," Loki smiled, "you better start trying to convince him to say 'mama' soon, because it's clearly only a matter of time before he strings together a cohesive word."

"True," Amelia spoke, and then breathed a small sigh, looking over to where Aster was several feet away, "I'm not sure about her, though."

Loki's eyes landed on his daughter. She was knelt on the carpet, leaning over a children's book - _The Rainbow Fish _\- and looking at the colourful images upon its pages with an abundance of intrigue, touching her fingertips to the shiny fish scales on each page.

Aster was not a chatterbox. In fact, she was about as far from it as one could possibly be. Unlike her brother, Aster did not really make noises beyond crying or laughing; she had no problems screaming her head off if things weren't going her way - for example, if she wasn't allowed anymore chocolate pudding, she would easily prove just how powerful her set of lungs were. When something happened that she found amusing, like when Amelia nuzzled her nose into Aster's belly, or when Loki tickled her, or when Tony pulled ridiculous faces at her, she would let out screeching laughter that brought joy to everybody present.

She just didn't make any sounds like her brother. No _uh-buh-bubs _or _bah-bahs, _which appeared to be Kari's favourite phrases. No nonsensical, random grumbly noises or loud _ahhhhhhhs _that Kari was so fond of agitating everybody with for the sake of his own amusement. Aster was just _quiet._

Of course, she had always been quiet. She was always less likely to cry, less likely to whine, less likely to start fussing, and neither Amelia or Loki had really questioned it until she'd reached the age where it was generally normal for kids to start mumbling syllables in a purposeful attempt to imitate or gain the attention of others. When she had failed to start up the habit, like her brother, Loki and Amelia grew just a little bit concerned. Amelia's first idea was to read up in parenting books and research on the internet whether it was strange, but all of the forums she found were not relevant to their specific situations.

_Some babies don't speak until twelve months, _one of the users had pointed out, but that wasn't really the focus of concern. It wasn't that Aster wasn't speaking, it was that she wasn't making any of the usual noises that babies her age should.

She cooed and gurgled for the longest time, and then that stopped, as if she just didn't want to do so anymore. Her hearing seemed perfectly fine, her vocal cords worked well enough for her to laugh and cry, so that wasn't it either.

It seemed that no amount of encouragement on Amelia and Loki's end was enough to persuade her to try and speak. The girl was fond of her pacifiers, too; she would always get moody or bring out the crocodile tears if either Amelia or Loki took her pacifier from her, so that made it extra difficult to get Aster to try and form sounds with her mouth.

"Aster," Loki called, and the girl looked up, "can you say 'dada'?"

Aster looked at him blankly for a moment and then pushed herself to her feet, squatting down to pick up the book as an afterthought, and carried it as she waddled over to him. Amelia had been the one to dress the girl that morning, and she had put her in a brand new dress they had bought a couple days prior. It was white with blue irises dotted across it in a repetitive pattern, and the brightness of it contrasted well with Aster's black hair, which fell down just passed her ears. She looked _beyond _adorable, just the mere sight of her made Loki want to melt.

He took the book tentatively when she handed it to him and she started climbing onto his legs with the intent of situating herself there, showing him clearly that she wanted him to read to her, so he shifted into a cross-legged position, allowing her room to sit in his lap. She fussed for a moment, getting herself comfortable, and then gripped the front cover of the book, pulling it open.

Loki complied, hunching over slightly so that he was closer to his daughter, and he began to read the story to her, "_A long way out in the deep blue sea, there lived a fish. Not just an ordinary fish, but the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean." _

Aster's hands were on the page immediately, pointing at the rainbow fish; she traced the glossy, shiny parts of the page that made up the fish's glittering scales, clearly interested in the way the material felt different from the rest of the page. It was typical for her to do this with each and every page, and Loki only turned to the next page when _Aster _was ready to do so.

Amelia always remarked on how impressed she was with Loki's patience regarding the children, and Loki had to admit, he definitely had come a long way from the person he used to be. Having to wait for something had never been his strong suit, he was much more the kind of person to make things happen at his advanced pace, but ever since his children had been born, he'd had to curb that way of thinking.

There was no need to rush things. No ominous feeling looming over him that urged him to hurry himself or anybody around him; there was just this blessed sensation that Loki had failed to place for a while, until finally he understood just what it was. It was security. He felt relaxed when he was in Avengers Tower with his family, knowing there were a handful of strong fighters around that would do anything and everything in their power to keep his Amelia, Kari and Aster safe.

There was no imminent threat coming for them, nobody wanting to bring harm to his family; he was comfortable in the knowledge that they were anonymous to the world, and that was how it would remain.

So, Loki felt no urgent pressure to _go, go, go. _He would happily take his time raising his children, let them grow at their own pace, and he promised himself he would not try to rush them through it.

Aster rubbed her palms across the next page, head tilted curiously as she sucked avidly on her pacifier, and yet again poked her fingers at all the shiny parts of the page.

And yet, _despite _this relaxed feeling that had befallen him at some point, Aster's lack of vocal noises seemed to bother him just a little bit. His thoughts jumped rapidly between worries that something was wrong with her to agitation that it was somehow _his _fault that Aster wasn't progressing the same way Kari was. He didn't know what to make of it, and none of the parenting books he had read covered the subject, they all ensured that his children would gurgle and coo, and then make ooh and ahh sounds, and soon start to imitate the words of those around them. Kari had reached that step just fine, but Aster had stumbled away from step one in the wrong direction and decided to just be silent.

Amelia had been the one to remind him that Kari was actually ahead in development, that children generally speak their first words between 11 and 13 months, but Kari was practically almost there at 10 months, so it was important that Loki allowed Aster time to catch up with her brother.

Aster turned the page and looked up at him, her big green eyes wide and expectant as she waited for him to continue reading. They were eyes that Loki most certainly could not say no to, so he obliged, "_His scales were every shade of blue and green and purple, with sparkling silver scales among them."_

Patience was key, Loki reminded himself. He would wait it out and maybe Aster would just surprise him one day, speaking her first word without any warning. He wondered, in that case, what her first word might be.

* * *

Thor was visiting the Tower two weeks later. He'd found some time in between running the kingdom to drop by and see the Avengers - but _mostly _he was there to see his niece and nephew, naturally. Even though they had been planning to return to Asgard before the month was up, the King clearly couldn't stay away from the two little ones he loved so much.

He had come bearing gifts with a huge grin on his face, holding up a package wrapped in brown paper and string, "A gift from Signy, for the children," he'd explained, "it's getting colder, she thought that perhaps these would come in handy for them."

When Amelia opened the gift up, she was greeted with two wool-knit blankets, one dark green and the other deep purple, and immediately she lit up in gratitude, "Oh, these are so wonderful! They're so soft!" She would be sure to thank Signy the next time they saw each other, it was so sweet that the Asgardian woman had taken her time to knit blankets for the kids.

"So, how are the little prince and princess?" Thor inquired playfully to Kari, who was sitting on his lap and looking up at him with shining eyes.

"Ooh-wah haa," the boy cooed, followed by a sweet string of giggles, which more or less answered Thor's question.

"I'm glad to hear it," Thor responded with a hearty chuckle, "And what about your sister?"

Aster was wandering around on the padded flooring, not quite in the mood for cuddles and not really paying a lot of attention to Uncle Thor, much to his dismay.

"Aster?" Thor called, hoping to gain some notice from the little girl. She looked up at the sound of her name, blinking at Thor for all of two seconds before turning away and playing with her soft toys. Loki found it amusing how Thor pined for the child's attention; Aster was a little more reserved than her brother and not as cuddly toward anybody who wasn't himself, Kari or Amelia.

"Look Aster! What's this?" Amelia gasped, holding up the purple wool-knit blanket she had pulled out of the package, "It's a gift from Signy! A pretty, soft blanket!" Her excitable words immediately had the girl's attention, and Aster waddled over tentatively, sucking on her pacifier as always.

Instead of taking an interest in the blanket Amelia was holding, Aster patted her hand against the green one still folded in her mother's lap, and promptly decided very quickly that she loved the soft feel of it against her hand. Her fingers clutched onto it like claws and she pulled it away, claiming it as her own almost immediately.

"Oh!" Amelia exclaimed in amusement, "That's okay, Kari can have the purple one." She stood, walking to the chair Thor was sitting in and raised the blanket, placing it around Kari's shoulders. The boy gurgled in merriment, grabbing the fabric and pulling it over his head like a hooded cloak - it was safe to assume that he liked it.

Aster dragged the green blanket along with her as she stumbled up to Loki, holding onto his knee as she came to stop in front of him; she raised her arms and looked at him expectantly, and Loki deduced her wordless request, quickly wrapping her up in the blanket before lifting her onto his lap. The fabric was large enough to fully wrap around Aster twice, and she squealed as she was picked up and situated safely in her dada's lap. The big smile on her face was evident of her delight, the pacifier almost fell from her lips, and for some reason she found it incredibly funny that her arms were trapped below the soft material, making her look like a blanket burrito.

Loki laughed subtly, hugging her to his chest, and brushed his lips against Aster's forehead in a gentle kiss, only to realise after a moment that Amelia was staring at him with an insurmountably fond look on her face, eyes shining with love and adoration.

"What?" Loki asked.

Amelia shook her head, smiling knowingly at her husband.

"Do you know any words yet, little one? Hm? Can you say mama? Dada?" Thor asked Kari curiously, and before Amelia or Loki could casually remark that the boy was very stubborn and refused to say either of those words when asked, Kari said one word quietly, half distracted, like it was no big deal whatsoever.

"Mama."

Loki's gaze zipped to his wife, and Amelia seemed to have a delayed reaction, as though she hadn't even realised what Kari had said, but then she looked over at the child, eyes as wide as saucers, and squeaked in a high pitched voice, "Did you just say mama?"

"Mama!" Kari giggled, parroting the word again, and Amelia all but flew across the sitting area, plucking her son up into her arms from a bewildered Thor's lap, and she spun in a circle, letting out a cry of utter exuberance that was tinged with tearful disbelief. Loki couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying, but he wouldn't be surprised if she was doing both - Amelia tended to weep when she was beyond happy, and he found himself smiling both with pride and devotion.

Pride because his son had just spoken his first word, and devotion from the glee he felt at watching his wife light up the room in her bliss - thank the _gods _Kari had said the word 'mama' before 'dada', because it gifted him the captivating sight of his wife reacting with _peak _joy.

"Oh my baby boy, my sweet baby boy," she chanted, nuzzling her nose against Kari's, drawing forth delightful laughter from the child. Loki bit his lip in an attempt to stop it from wobbling with emotion, he wouldn't let his eyes get watery while his damn brother was present. He just couldn't help but feel his heartstrings pull at the sight, being reminded that this was his family. His _family. _He would never get tired of that word.

Amelia pulled herself together a bit, kissing her son on the cheek with an overexaggerated 'mwah!' sound before proceeding to stare at him with her winning smile, and Thor finally reacted after being visibly taken by Amelia's joy, "What a smart little one! Can you say 'Uncle Thor'?"

At that, a rich laughter escaped Loki's throat, his brother was _definitely _asking too much now, "You wish-"

Before Loki could finish that thought, Kari interrupted like a slap in the face, loudly proclaiming, "Tor!" and Thor's jaw dropped, his face shining with amazement.

Loki however, froze in _betrayal, _staring at his son with his mouth hanging open stupidly; Amelia was _laughing, _finding it oh so funny that Kari was yelling out his uncle's name before saying the word 'dada'. _How could he? _It was utterly tragic, and it almost completely ruined the excitement of his very first word.

"What is _wrong _with you, child?" Loki questioned with sheer incredulity, receiving only childish laughter from the boy in question. Instead, Loki glared at his brother, his face sharp and promising of a swift death thanks to the King's very stupid idea to ask Kari to say his name.

Loki was more than happy to allow Amelia to be their son's first word, but for him to not be _second?_ That hadn't been the plan!

Thor merely shrugged his shoulders sheepishly, "Well hey, look at the bright side. You still have the chance to be Aster's first word!"

Loki opened his mouth to snap something witty and bitter in return, but stopped short, closing his mouth as he turned to look at his daughter, who returned his stare with curious, wide eyes.

He gave a pause before reaching up to pull her pacifier out of her mouth, it released from her lips with a pop, and he gave her a very earnest, pleading look as he asked her, "Aster, can you say 'dada'?"

Aster looked up at him, green eyes shining, and she blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering against her pale cheeks, and then she opened her mouth, and Loki felt his heart thump in anticipation behind his ribcage.

The girl wriggled in the confines of her blanket, looked to her pacifier which was held away in her father's hand, and then gazed up at Loki, swallowing tightly.

She didn't say a word.

Instead, her eyes grew glossy as a preface of the tears that would imminently follow if he didn't return her pacifier to her mouth _immediately._

"No? Okay, no. Sorry. Nevermind," the words quickly tumbled out of Loki's mouth as he slipped the object back into her mouth apologetically, squashing down the disappointment he felt at his daughter's continued silence.

"Oh, don't you worry, brother!" Thor's dumb voice cut through the silence, "I'm sure she'll say it eventually." It was clear he was trying to assure Loki because _he _was the one at fault for snatching up second place.

"Shut up, Thor."

"Tor!" Kari squealed again, only rubbing it in all the more painfully.

"No, _you _can shut up," Loki pointed in his son's direction, and Amelia looked slightly ruffled that he had just said that to her son, up until the boy let free a string of giggles yet again. Why did he have to be so giggly? Why did he find his father's torment so unbelievably funny?

Loki sighed, looking down at Aster, whose tears had abated completely now that she had her beloved pacifier back. The question of why she hadn't yet spoken a word remained unanswered.

She was simply a mystery, it seemed.

* * *

**What's up with Aster? Hmmm? ^_^ **

**Thank you to those of you who left a comment on the last chapter, I seriously appreciate it. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, I really hoped you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think!**


	29. Give Me A Sign

**HEY GUYS! I had some truly lovely comments on the last chapter that made me super happy. I'm so glad you're all enjoying this series, I have so much fun writing the blossoming relationships between Aster, Kari, Amelia and Loki. They're such a sweet family, and I really enjoy writing child/baby characters :') **

**The kids are seventeen months in this one, and I know what you're thinking - WHAT, KUMIKOSEPH, YOU MISSED THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY? Hear me out, the first birthday is a big milestone, yes, BUT, I couldn't think of any particularly interesting ideas to cover on their first birthday, soooooooo I instead have plans for a later chapter for their fifth birthday perhaps. Either way, I'm sure y'all will enjoy this chapter anyway.**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Give Me A Sign

"How's playtime coming along?"

Amelia's voice rang melodically through the nursery as she entered, carrying Kari's and Aster's snacks on a tray to where Loki was currently keeping the children entertained with some creative activities.

Kari was in the process of building a tower of building blocks, though so far he hadn't managed to make the tower more than five blocks high without it collapsing to the floor - the toddler was growing a tad bit frustrated over this.

Aster had several plush toys sitting around her and she appeared to be methodically picking each of them up one by one to pat down their fur - if they were stuffed animals, or to run her fingers through their hair - if they were dolls. She took extra special care to sit them back down after she was done inspecting them, making sure they were sat upright and were neatly positioned.

Loki had been encouraging Kari to keep building up his tower, because the boy was in need of some emotional support over the fact that his glorious building blocks kept plummeting to the ground, while keeping an eye on Aster in his peripheral. He loved to wonder just what his young daughter was thinking about while she examined her toys and placed them orderly in front of her. She wasn't overly interested in constructing a tower of blocks like her brother, she was more fascinated with her soft toys and the different materials they were made of.

"Playtime is going well," Loki answered his wife, smiling as he took the tray from her and placed it down beside him on the floor; Amelia had very kindly brought up some thin slices of apple, cucumber, and cheese for the little ones to eat. It was about time for their mid-morning snack, after all.

"Mama!" Kari exclaimed, arms spread wide in request of a hug, which Amelia happily indulged him with. She knelt down and gathered him up in her arms, giving him a warm kiss on the cheek.

"Hey bug, I've got your num nums. Eat up!" She gently brushed her hand through Aster's hair, even though the girl was entirely preoccupied with her dolls, and then leaned forward to kiss Loki, smiling contentedly once she pulled away. "I'm going to get changed, make sure Aster eats her cucumber. I'll be back in a bit."

"Of course," Loki watched her leave the nursery with the intent to change out of her dressing gown and into some outdoor-appropriate clothing. After lunch, they were going to take Aster to a pediatrician who could hopefully give them a little insight into what exactly was going on in the girl's mind.

She still didn't speak. At seventeen months, it was beginning to seem like something to be fully concerned about, especially when she showed signs of a good understanding of some words and phrases spoken by either himself or Amelia. Aster reacted to certain words. She knew who to point at if Loki asked her to find her brother, or her mother, and she most definitely knew what was coming if the words 'chocolate pudding' were spoken aloud. Loki just couldn't understand why his daughter couldn't replicate the words spoken to her like her brother could.

They'd taken Aster to see Inga about it, but she had been just as stumped. All of her experience with young children was exclusively Asgardian toddlers - and it had been a while since there were any of _those _in Asgard anyway - let alone a Jotun-Midgardian half breed toddler. Inga had apologetically suggested seeing a Midgardian doctor about her, because from what she knew, it was an issue born out of her human nature as opposed to her Jotun nature.

So, they had gone to Banner, who had put them in touch with an expert who may be able to help them. A _human _pediatrician. Loki wasn't thrilled at the prospect of interacting with a Midgardian who probably wouldn't have anything enlightening to say anyway, but Amelia pointed out that if Loki was truly concerned for his daughter, he would give it a shot.

"Num num, dada," said Kari, pointing at the tray with grabby hands, and Loki chuckled, picking Kari up as he tried to dive across his dada's lap to obtain the delicious little pre-lunch snack Amelia had prepared for them. He sat Kari back down and picked up the boy's plastic bowl.

"Alright, here you go. Don't eat too quickly," Loki warned him gently, knowing how enthusiastic the boy could be when it came to food; he watched as Kari plucked up a thin slice of cucumber and put it in his mouth to begin munching delightfully. Loki waited until Kari had chewed and swallowed before asking him, "Kari, can you say 'cucumber'?"

"Koo-bah-bah," Kari responded confidently before picking up another piece.

"Close enough," Loki nodded and then glanced over to Aster appraisingly.

Aster had turned her attention away from the food Amelia had brought and was now standing next to the small bookcase which housed the growing collection of children's books they owned. She seemed to be searching for one to pick out, always keen for her dada to read to her.

"Aster, it's time to eat. Come over here," he held out his hand, beckoning her over, but the girl only looked back at him briefly, sucking away on her pacifier, and then turned her attention back to the books before her. Loki tried again, a tad bit firmer, "Come over here, Aster."

Aster picked up one of the books, holding it to her chest with both arms as she approached, and instead of sitting down like Kari to eat her snack, she tried to make herself comfortable in Loki's lap. Loki wasn't having it. He picked her up out of his lap and placed her down opposite himself next to her brother, to which she gave him a _very _unhappy frown.

Oh, she was in a _mood _today.

"Food first, then book." Loki told her, pushing her bowl in front of her with an expectant look, hoping the action would be enough for his daughter to understand that he wouldn't read to her until she ate.

Aster sulked, staring down at the bowl as if she wanted it to disappear; in her hesitance, Kari made a move to steal her apple slices after having finished his own.

"Ah- _no," _Loki reprimanded, his stern tone causing Kari to sheepishly retract his hand and quickly act as though he hadn't done anything wrong. Loki could tell he was going to be a huge mischief maker when he was fully grown. Stealing food from a sibling - that was something he himself used to do to Thor all the time.

He looked back to Aster, who was looking up at him with her big, round eyes, probably hoping he would give in and read to her instead of forcing her to eat her tiny little snack first and foremost. It wasn't going to work, not this time. Usually that look made him weak and inclined to let Aster have her way, but she needed to eat her snack, mama's orders, and Loki was more afraid of Amelia's wrath than that of his daughter.

"Eat, now." He tapped the bowl.

Aster lifted the book up, showing him the cover. _The Very Hungry Caterpillar. _That was a little bit ironic. Loki took the book from her and placed it down on the floor beside him before pointing at the bowl yet again. "Aster," he said her name in a terse, warning tone that left no room for argument, and the girl made the whining noise that she typically made as a precursor to crying.

Loki sighed, face softening, and he picked up the bowl, plucking up an apple slice and holding it out to her, "If you eat these, we can read the book, okay?" Aster sniffed, but appeared to relent at his gentler tone. She took the apple slice and pulled her pacifier out so she could eat it, which was all it took to get her in the groove of devouring the rest of her little snacks. For some unearthly reason, Aster was always averse to snack-time and meal-time until she took her first bite, then she'd eat her food without much fuss; it was like she always had something else she wanted to do _first._

She still seemed to have an issue with the cucumber though, because despite eating the apple and cheese without further reluctance, she paused when it came to the sliced vegetable. Aster pointed at the book, looking up at her father questioningly.

"Two slices of cucumber, Aster," Loki said, picked them up and holding them out to her, tilting his head when Aster frowned at his hand, "come on. It's _green. _You like green, remember?" He held a slice up to her lips, and she glared at the cucumber before tentatively opening her mouth and taking a bite. Her face scrunched up slightly as she chewed and swallowed it.

"It's really that horrible, huh?" He took pity, looking up at the door to see if Amelia was lurking outside or if she was still in the bedroom. The coast was clear, so he popped the remaining cucumber in his own mouth and ate it himself, "Mama doesn't have to know," he whispered, giving his daughter a wink.

He never ate his vegetables as a child either.

Aster was already crawling back into his lap, ready for Loki to read the story book like he had promised, and Kari was quick to join in, his building blocks sitting forgotten as both toddlers bundled onto his crossed legs. Loki chuckled, picking up the book and opening it to the first page.

"One Sunday morning, the warm sun came up and - _pop _\- out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar," Loki began, but was interrupted by Amelia before he could turn the page as she walked in, all dressed and prettied up.

"Hey," she greeted, and then stopped, looking down at the empty bowls in surprise, "you actually got Aster to eat the cucumber?"

Loki looked at her for a second.

"Yes."

"But she _never _eats the cucumber?" Amelia sounded stumped.

"I'm just that good," Loki smiled smugly and turned his attention back to the book, trying to pretend he wasn't wholly amused by the impressed look that passed over his wife's face.

* * *

Loki watched Kari stumble around the waiting room of the specialist's office, babbling to himself loudly and causing a general fuss in the otherwise silent atmosphere; the boy seemed a little skittish and excitable, unlike his sister who was, of course, completely quiet and sitting still in her father's lap. Kari didn't want to seem to calm down no matter how many times Amelia repeatedly shushed him, whereas Aster appeared to be oddly apprehensive, as if she knew they were there because the pediatrician wanted to see her.

The girl leaned her head against Loki's chest, sucking tentatively on her pacifier, her brow furrowed like she was anxious; he let his fingers drift through her thin hair in an effort to soothe her apparent discomfort. Perhaps she was put off by the new environment and the fact that they had been sitting there waiting for the past thirty minutes.

Their appointment was supposed to be twenty minutes ago, but the pediatrician was running late with his appointments, much to Loki's dismay. He could be patient for his children, but having to wait for _Midgardians_ was just such a chore for him - it was stupid, their appointment was set for 12:30 that afternoon, so that's when it should have been. It was coming up to one o'clock now and Loki found his mood dropping with every passing minute; being in close proximity with humans who weren't his wife or the Avengers was just so tiresome. He was lucky that none of the humans in the waiting room were even glancing his way - his glasses and ponytail disguise combo hadn't let him down yet, but he didn't want to push his luck.

The pediatrician wasn't aware that he was going to be appraising the child of Loki, of Asgard, and Loki damn well hoped he wasn't an Avengers fan. When outside the tower with his family, it was of the utmost import that he remained anonymous to those around him.

Amelia's voice cut through his train of though, "I think one of us should stay out here with Kari when Aster's called in," she murmured, a slight weariness to her voice, "something tells me he isn't going to sit still and be quiet for more than a few minutes, if at all. I don't want to disturb the doctor…"

Loki nodded his head, "Yes, I agree. He's rather out of control… so did you want to go in or shall I?"

"It's probably best that I go in," Amelia said with a slight smile, "I mean, what if he asks you a question and you don't know the answer?"

Loki frowned, "Why would I not know the answer?"

"I mean-" she lowered her voice a tad, "what if he starts talking about something Midgardian-related and you have no clue what he's on about. You'll seem weird if you have to ask him to explain something that's, like, really basic knowledge for me but not for you?"

Loki sighed, "Right, okay. Fine, you go in with Aster. I'll stay out here and try to wrangle Kari into a seat."

After another five minutes, the door to the doctor's office opened up and a woman walked out with her young child, followed by who Loki presumed was the doctor they were here to see.

The Midgardian doctor looked to be in his mid-thirties, had tan skin and very short, dark hair along with a beard that was neatly kept; he wore a pure white coat and had some strange device hanging around his neck.

"Aster Avery?" the doctor called, glancing around the room.

_Finally, _Loki thought as Amelia stood up and moved to take Aster from his arms. Aster, however, did not want to leave her father's lap, because she gripped the lapel of his coat and gave an anxious whimper as Amelia tried to get her to release her tight clutch on him.

"Aster, come on sweetheart," Amelia tried gently, "we won't be too long."

In an instant, Aster revealed her displeasure at her mother's insistence by breaking out into a loud, sharp cry. Loki glanced over to the doctor, who stood with complete forbearance while Aster kicked up a loud fuss and bawled her eyes out, till eventually Loki stood, taking his daughter back from his wife's arms, "It's okay, I'll take her in."

Aster wasn't going to accept being taken away from him, not while she was so visibly distressed, which left only option - he was going to have to talk to the Midgardian doctor in Amelia's stead.

Amelia looked uncertain, "Are you sure?"

"It's fine," Loki nodded, and Aster quietened down almost as soon as she was fully handed back to him. Amelia gave him an encouraging half-smile as she sat back down and Loki crossed the room and entered the doctor's office.

As the pediatrician closed the door, Loki realised with a start that Amelia had been right, he was kind of out of his depth - he could only hope that the doctor would speak plainly and ask relatively straight-forward questions.

"Sorry for the wait, Mr. Avery. Please take a seat," he indicated the empty chair opposite his desk, "I'm Doctor Hayes, I understand you have some concerns about your daughter. What exactly can I help you with?"

Loki quickly wiped his face clean of the initial confusion he felt when the doctor called him _Mr. Avery, _realising that Amelia must have given them an alias in place of his real name, because _obviously _he couldn't list his name as Loki Odinson if he wanted to be incognito.

He cleared his throat, "Uh, I think my wife explained when she called…" _Did he really have to relay all the information Amelia had already given them?_

Doctor Hayes smiled, "Yes, of course, I have a vague idea, but I'd like to hear the unabridged concerns you have."

Loki frowned, but humoured the man, "Well," he began, slightly awkwardly - _Amelia really would've been better off in here _\- "...my daughter doesn't speak." There wasn't really a more detailed version of what Amelia had told them over the phone. Aster didn't speak. That was literally it.

"She doesn't speak? Okay," Hayes glanced down at his notes and then looked back up, "it isn't unusual for children of seventeen months to have yet to say their first words. It is on the later end of the period in which children typically begin to speak, but not necessarily a cause for concern. Can you tell me why this worries you?" He spoke kindly, but Loki found himself feeling irked as if the doctor was maybe reprimanding him for wasting his time.

"It's not just that she doesn't speak, she barely makes a sound," Loki glanced down at the toddler in question, who seemed to be overly interested in staring at her wiggling fingers, "her twin brother already knows quite a few words, I don't see any reason why she would be so far behind him when we've been encouraging their progress at the same pace."

The doctor nodded, seemingly understanding where Loki's worries had arisen from.

"Do you have any reason to believe there may be anything wrong with your daughter's hearing?"

"No," Loki answered, "she… she knows when we're talking to her. When we say her name, she looks at us. She can hear just fine, I'm sure."

"Alright, I would like to know - does your daughter have any unusual or repetitive behaviours, trouble making eye contact with you, or a tendency to get angry or upset very easily?"

Loki didn't quite know what constituted unusual behaviours, but nothing particularly stood out; repetitive, however, was something that he could attribute to Aster's almost obsessive sucking on her pacifier.

"She's rather attached to her pacifier… she gets upset when we try to take it from her, I'm not sure if that counts. She doesn't have an issue with holding eye contact." Several times, Loki had practically had staring matches with the girl - she liked to stare at him a lot.

"I see, I see," said Hayes, glancing down at his notes again, "and does your daughter respond well in non-verbal ways when you interact with her?"

"Such as?"

"Well, does she wave to people, nod or shake her head as a response, point to things that she wants…?"

"She does all of those things." Now that the doctor had specified, Loki supposed that Aster did make an effort to communicate non-verbally. While Aster's lack of speech made it difficult to understand her exact needs sometimes, Loki didn't really find it impossible to figure out what the girl wanted to convey most of the time.

"Good, that's good," Doctor Hayes assured, picking up a pen to scribble something down in his notes. He turned his attention to the girl who had yet to even acknowledge the doctor's presence, Aster was still very much looking anywhere but the direction of Hayes.

"How are you, Aster?" the doctor inquired, leaning forward on his knees slightly so that he was talking more at the girl's eye-level. Loki looked funnily at the doctor - did he really think she was going to answer his question? Did the doctor think he could get Aster to talk when both Loki and Amelia had been trying for months upon months?

At the mention of her name, Aster looked up at the doctor with wide eyes, her pacifier going still in her mouth as she stared at him for a moment and then turned away, shoving her face into Loki's shoulder as if to hide. Loki automatically rubbed her back soothingly in reassurance.

Hayes didn't seem put off by Aster's unwillingness to face him, in fact, he looked almost like he expected it, and a small smile formed on his face, "It's okay, I know I have a scary face. But I don't bite, I promise." Loki gave the man a cynical look, he didn't look scary at all, what was he talking about?

"You know- I've got something for you, Aster. It's something very special, only the bravest kids get one of these," he turned slightly, opening up a drawer. He pulled out what looked like a piece of paper with rows of stars across the page in many different colours, all of them glittering in the light of the room.

Aster turned her head ever so slightly, looking at what the doctor had uncovered; she observed the page of stars with abundant curiosity, but still remained reluctant to pull away from her father to get a good look.

"It's a sticker, see?" the doctor peeled one of the stars away from the page and placed it on the lapel of his whiter than white coat. "If you wear one of these, it means you're fearless. Plus, it looks pretty!" The man grinned, holding up his lapel like he was proud to show it off, talking in an excitable way that appealed to the girl.

Aster seemed interested enough to sit up straighter and lean over to look at the rows of star stickers laid out before her.

"Would you like to have one?" Hayes asked gently, and Loki watched silently as Aster nodded her head, reaching out with grabby hands towards the sheet. The doctor smiled brightly, "which colour would you like, Aster?"

Aster pointed towards the sparkly green stars and Loki felt a small swell of pride, smiling at his daughter.

"Ohh, good choice!" said the doctor animatedly as he peeled the green star from the sheet, "Green is a very cool colour, oh- and it matches your eyes!" He placed the sparkling star on Aster's top and she gazed down at it in delight, running her finger over the slightly rough texture of the glitter in wonderment.

Then she looked up at Loki, her mouth stretched into a grin around her pacifier as she pointed at the sticker on her chest, and Loki mirrored her glee, admiring how bright and happy his daughter looked all of a sudden, as opposed to the nervous state she had been in just a short while ago.

"It's beautiful, Aster," he praised, stroking her head adoringly.

Loki understood now why the doctor had pulled out the stickers in the first place; the man was obviously good with children if he worked as a pediatrician, and he probably was used to children being withdrawn and nervous, so this was a great way to urge them out of their shells a bit.

And it worked. Hayes proceeded to pull out a small poster which showed cartoonish pictures of a bunch of different animals; he asked Aster to point at her favourite animal and she indicated the image of a bird, and then when he asked her to point to several different animals that he named, she was able to do so. Loki believed she could identify the animals well thanks to one of the children's books they had back at the tower that told a story about the lives of farm animals.

The doctor seemed impressed that she was able to point to every animal correctly as he named them, and seemed to come to some sort of prognosis about Aster's lack of speech.

"There are a few different causes for delayed speech and language development in children. At the moment, I think it's unlikely to be Autism from what you've told me, she doesn't appear to have most of the indicators that come with it."

Loki didn't bother to ask what Autism was as the doctor seemed to think he should know what it was already, given the way he was talking about it. He'd ask Amelia later.

"It generally isn't diagnosed before twenty-four months anyway." He went on to say, "Shyness could also be a potential cause. It's clear she's put off by strangers, which isn't at all unusual for children, but it can sometimes be debilitating enough that it dissuades a child from speaking aloud… however that doesn't usually happen with close family." He licked his lips in idle thought, tilting his head to look at Aster with consideration.

"Selective mutism is a possibility, though just like shyness, it generally doesn't stop a person from talking to their close family. Most cases of selective mutism have a child who cannot speak in certain social situations with people they don't know very well, so… perhaps not." Loki didn't like how uncertain the doctor seemed. He'd hoped the Midgardian pediatrician would have clear answers for him, but the variability of the man's words was not promising.

"Perhaps this is a case of Einstein Syndrome," Doctor Hayes spoke, looking at Loki as if he should have any hint of recognition as to what that may have been. At the blank look the doctor received, he continued, "well, Albert Einstein didn't start talking until he was five years old!"

Loki continued to stare at the man with a clear lack of understanding. Who was Albert Einstein?

Doctor Hayes seemed momentarily confused by Loki's perplexed look, so he clarified, "Albert Einstein was a certified genius, you see. Very smart man, one of the smartest for sure! He had a speech delay problem, all the way up until he turned five, but he was gifted in many other areas. Your daughter strikes me as a very bright girl. Her cognizance seems to be far more progressed than many other children her age, she knew each and every animal on that poster. Quite a feat at seventeen months. I don't believe there's anything _wrong _with your daughter, Mr. Avery, I think she may just need _time."_

Loki breathed a sigh, glancing down at Aster. He was disappointed that the doctor did not have a definitive solution to their problem, but at the same time he felt a sort of contentment at having his daughter's intellect praised so much.

"Have you thought about alternative ways of communication?" the doctor asked, and Loki gave him a questioning look. "I think it would be beneficial for you and your wife to learn some sign language, your daughter may feel more comfortable communicating non-verbally as opposed to out loud with her voice."

_Sign language? _Loki didn't know a lot about sign language, but if it was a way to help communicate with his daughter more clearly, he was open to it.

"I can… look into it," Loki confirmed.

"I can print off some pages for you with helpful information," the doctor told him, turning to do just that, "and I would very much like to see Aster again around twenty-four months so that I can monitor her progress. Perhaps by then we will be able to understand her point of view a lot easier, and I can give you some more conclusive answers."

"Right," Loki nodded, "okay."

He lifted Aster up as he stood, taking the sheets of paper that the doctor offered to him. Hayes opened the door for him and Loki walked out, politely thanking the man for his consideration, taking a moment to watch how the doctor waved at Aster, and she returned the gesture tentatively.

Amelia had managed to get Kari into a seat, the boy was now sitting relatively quietly as he drank apple juice from his sippy cup, and it seemed as though it may have taken some insistence, because Amelia looked somewhat enervated, slumped in her seat. She'd brightened when Loki exited the doctor's office with Aster in his arms, and immediately stood up, her face awash with curiosity at what the doctor had said.

"Well? What does he think?" Amelia asked, and her eyes went to the glittery green star on Aster's chest, pulling a smile onto her face.

"I'll explain everything on the way back," Loki told her. It would be easier to relay everything he had been told in the limo back to Avengers Tower, he didn't want to talk while there were a handful of Midgardians about.

Amelia agreed, and they grabbed their things and made their way out of the building and around the corner to the awaiting limo with Stark's driver. As they were walking, Loki watched his daughter carefully as she admired her green star sticker. The doctor had likened her to some Midgardian genius named Albert Einstein - he smirked pridefully, it was no surprise that his daughter may grow up to have superior intellect, she was _his _daughter after all; and her knowledge would no doubt be finer than that of any Midgardian, regardless of when she decided to start talking.

"Hey," Loki murmured quietly, and Aster looked up at him, eyes wide as usual, "I love you." He said the words warmly with a smile, and Aster's eyes appeared to shine in response. She circled her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, and Loki knew that was her non-verbal way of saying '_I love you, too.'_

* * *

**"ASTER STILL ISN'T TALKING?" I hear you cry. Yep, she isn't talking yet. I have plans for her, don't you worry~ There will be pay-off eventually ;)**

**As a child, I absolutely had selective mutism. My first two years in primary school, I did not speak to anybody, not the teacher, not the class. I said maybe just a few words to ONE girl in my class who I considered my only friend, but even then she wasn't exactly my friend cause my lack of communication skills meant I had no way to make real friends. It was legit awful. I didn't say 'here' when the teacher called my name for the register every morning, it was like I was physically unable to, I just couldn't handle having any sort of attention on me for even a moment. That's anxiety for yah. While I still suffer from anxiety, I don't suffer from selective mutism anymore, I've grown out of it and even if my social skills are scratchy, I can make friends x'D**


	30. Even Salt Looks Like Sugar

**Edit: Well this is strange, I actually posted this yesterday but for some reason it didn't seem to actually update, even though the chapter appeared in the index under my 'manage stories' tab... well, hopefully this re-upload reaches everyone!**

**Oh my goodness. I'm so so sorry for the time it has taken for me to post this next chapter. I've had some serious trouble focusing with my writing since the last time I posted, which is why it has taken so long. Some days I would sit and try my absolute hardest to write a good chunk but I'd only crank out a couple sentences, if that :( I've also been busy and distracted, but I have finally managed to finish this chapter. I'm so sorry everyone, I hate to make you all wait!**

**This chapter is extra long, I hope that will make up for it? **

**I hope you all enjoy, lovelies!**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Thirty: Even Salt Looks Like Sugar

It was a beautiful day for a picnic. The sun was bright, the air was warm, the lake just outside the boundaries of the Kingdom of Asgard was stunning, and Amelia was glad she had suggested it, because she felt perfectly relaxed as she basked in the sunshine, sitting upon the checkered blanket she had brought along.

The wicker basket at her side was full of snacks and sandwiches prepared by the palace's kitchen staff at her request, the children had been well-behaved all day, Loki was in a cuddly mood, everything was going wonderfully and Amelia felt beyond content. Snuggled up to her husband's side, Amelia watched little Kari and Aster chase each other around on the grassy bank, and she couldn't help but think about just how blessed she was to have such a beautiful family.

Movement in the corner of Amelia's eye drew her attention. One of Loki's arms was slung around her, holding her close against him, while the other was deftly swapping between different signs - he was signing out the letters of the alphabet by way of memorising them so that he could then go on to teach it to Aster.

It warmed Amelia's heart that Loki was taking the doctor's advice so seriously. He had immediately purchased several books on sign language and was learning the letters, words and phrases at a considerable rate. Amelia had never been good at learning secondary languages, but she was eager to give sign language a try, desperate to work out how to communicate more easily with her daughter. Amelia herself had only learned the first few letters of the alphabet in sign while Loki had zoomed through the entire thing with ease.

Loki's brain clearly worked differently than her own - he absorbed things through sheer motivation, but Amelia needed to go through something a few dozen times before it cemented in her mind.

She carefully observed her husband's hand, focusing on the signs she knew to see if she could figure out what he was spelling out.

_A _ E _ I A_

She was playing a mental game of hang-man in her head, but she couldn't quite figure out the second and fourth digit - she had learnt all the vowels but only the first seven consonants in the alphabet. She stared, seeing if she could figure it out through common sense.

She blanked again on the second letter, but this time she took note of the fourth digit - her husband made a 'loser' sign and Amelia tilted her head, could that be as simple as representing the letter L?

_A _ E L I A_

Oh. He was spelling _her _name. The realisation sent a wave of warmth through her; it was cute, because he wasn't specifically signing to her, he was just practising by spelling her name.

Loki must have felt her gaze on him, because he turned his head and caught the sight of her dreamy look; the corners of his mouth tilted up into a subtle smirk and he raised his hand, showing her another hand gesture - it looked sort of like a devil's horns gesture, but his thumb was extended instead of tucked in. Amelia blinked, tilting her head curiously. She had no clue.

"What does that mean?" She asked, eyebrows raised almost suspiciously. Her first instinct was that it meant something rude, something mischievous, because there was this little glint in her husband's eyes that seemed almost playful and he always got that glint when he was doing something sneaky.

Loki seemed amused by her suspicion of him.

"It means _I love you," _he answered sincerely, and Amelia felt her face heat up immediately in a fluster, because that was just _way too sweet. _Loki was such a cutesy romantic, even though he would never admit it in a hundred years, but he reminded Amelia of that fact every single day in brand new ways.

"Come here, you," Amelia squeaked, grabbing a handful of his shirt to pull him down into a kiss. Loki hummed pleasantly against her lips, a deep rumble in the back of his throat that made Amelia shiver despite the warmth of the sun on her face. Even when Loki pulled back, his lips didn't stray far. He kissed her cheek and then her forehead, and then drew her close with a gentle hand tickling the back of her neck, she leaned her cheek against his shoulder and sighed happily at the embrace.

The quiet spot was the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the palace.

Until Loki broke the silence with a sharp exclamation, "_Hey!"_

It made Amelia jump, and she pulled back quickly, looking up at him with wide eyes, then followed his gaze over towards where the children were playing just ahead of them. They were looking back with mutually wide gazes, almost scared still at the sudden shout from their father.

Loki cleared his throat, looking a little sheepish at having raised his voice, and proceeded a little more quietly, but with a consistent stern edge to his tone, "Stay _away _from the water."

Amelia understood then why Loki had raised his voice in alarm, he'd been worried for the wellbeing of the children and in the split-second panic at the thought of them falling into the lake, he'd brashly told them off. She gave him a look that was slightly scolding - there'd been no need for him to shout, after all - but he brushed it off by ignoring it.

Amelia observed the children. They seemed interested in _looking _at the water, but dared not take a single step closer to it after hearing their daddy's warning tone. They weren't even that close to the edge of the bank, in her opinion, but she supposed she knew how easily a small child could trip and fall in. There was still a danger, even if the water was shallow and even if Loki was fast enough to pull them out within two seconds of it happening, if it were to happen at all.

Loki had a sharp eye on them at all times, even when he seemed to be giving Amelia his full attention, the children would always take up a percentage of his awareness, which Amelia knew was a good thing. The twins were forever protected. Nothing bad would ever happen to them, not if Loki could help it. Amelia couldn't ask for a better father for her children.

"We should give them swimming lessons," Amelia stated idly, watching Kari and Aster pull up great handfuls of grass and throw it up in the air, seemingly entertained by the way it fluttered back down to the ground.

"Hm?"

"Yeah, in the palace pool. It would be good for them to know how to swim."

Loki nodded slowly, like he was thinking about it.

"It's a useful skill to have," Amelia added.

"I know," Loki answered, glancing down at her, "I was just thinking… I don't know how to _teach_ someone to swim. Especially a child. It's not something you can just give instructions for and expect that to be enough," he looked vaguely discomfited, "and the thought of throwing them in and expecting them to learn from experience is… not ideal for me."

Amelia laughed, "That's not how you teach swimming lessons. You don't just throw them in. Please tell me that's not how _you _learnt to swim."

Loki eyed her for a moment, and Amelia realised that somebody in the palace must have deemed 'throw them in and hope for the best' a valid way to give swimming lessons when Loki was growing up.

"Oh, geez," Amelia mumbled apologetically, "well, we'll do it the right way. We can buy the kids inflatable rings, ease them into it… always keep a hand on them, you know?"

Loki seemed persuaded, "Alright." He looked thoughtful for a moment and then quietly spoke, "The first _lesson _I had, I was quite literally thrown into the pool, and my _teacher _just told me to kick my legs and stay above the surface," he rolled his eyes as he recalled the memory distastefully, "I panicked, begged him to pull me out. He waited until my head was _below_ the water to grab my arm and lift me up. I was six."

Amelia looked horrified. She knew her husband had had a tough childhood, but that was a whole new piece of information she could never have predicted; Loki's reaction to the children stepping within even twenty feet of the lake suddenly made a lot more sense.

"What an _asshole," _Amelia hissed, and then quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, looking nervously towards the children. They hadn't heard her, thankfully. Ever since Kari had started repeating the words they spoke to him, she'd had to be _very _careful about the language she used around them.

Loki chuckled and then gave a clipped response, "It's alright. He was killed in Hela's invasion, right before Asgard was destroyed. Can't say I miss him."

Amelia looked at Loki in consideration for just a moment, recognising his attempt to dismiss the subject with his insouciant words, and didn't probe for anything more on the matter. It wasn't often Loki freely gave her that kind of insight about his struggles growing up, and she knew it could only be a display of how much he trusted her. He may have delivered the words with nonchalance, but she knew as well as anybody what a traumatic memory looked like, and she knew how deeply something like that could affect a person.

Acceding her husband's wishes, Amelia dropped the subject entirely and turned her head to the children, "Anybody hungry?" she called out with a sort of sing-song tone, hoping to lure the toddlers in with promises of treats.

Kari came immediately at the mention of food, naturally. Aster followed, not with the same eagerness to consume lunch, but with the desire to pursue her brother; the little girl had been _all _about playtime with Kari as of late - she wanted to spend more time with him, it seemed, which warmed Amelia's heart. Seeing their sibling bond growing before her eyes, Amelia was reminded of her own brother and the times they had shared growing up. He had been such a sweet, loving big brother. She missed him dearly. She saw herself and Aaron in her children. Kari, the ever-smiling older brother, and Aster, the quiet little sister who trailed after her sibling.

Amelia got to work on setting up the children's food while Loki took the pack of wet wipes she handed him and cleaned the twins hands free of any dirt they may have clung to them. They each had juice in a sippy cup, strawberry jam sandwiches minus the crusts, one satsuma each, some savoury crackers and a small iced cake each as a treat for being good.

Aster tried reaching for the cake first - she had quite the sweet tooth - but Amelia gently dissuaded her, pushing the other things forward first, "You can have your cake after you eat the rest of your lunch." Amelia knew full well that if Aster consumed the cake first, she would turn her nose up at everything else. She was far too picky for her own good.

The little girl seemed to understand what her mother was telling her, because she adopted a very pouty look and then begrudgingly took the crackers and nibbled on them while side-eyeing the cake with much interest.

Kari did not have Aster's problem. He picked up his sandwich and ate it enthusiastically, only slowing when Loki reprimanded him for eating too quickly; the boy seemed to always be hungry, anybody would probably think they starved him if they witnessed his display.

At one point, Aster picked up a few wedges of her peeled satsuma and offered them to Kari, who brightened and took them, offering his sister a cracker in return, which she accepted; Amelia couldn't help but whisper a quiet 'aww' at their show of sharing.

Looking adoringly between her children, Amelia stiffened when she noticed a small black thing creeping across Kari's leg. A spider, oh no. Amelia hated spiders, and she happened to know Kari hated them too, which meant there was only a few moments before the boy would notice it and start screaming for help.

Unfortunately, while Amelia was rushing to think of a way to ask Loki to remove the spider before Kari could notice it, _Kari noticed it._ The boy froze, and then began to panic, his eyes growing wide as he locked his sights on the little creepy-crawly moving up over his knee, and Amelia winced as he let out a loud scream.

"No! No, no!" Kari yelled, using his limited vocabulary to communicate the fact that he was utterly terrified.

Loki looked down at his son in confusion, not immediately seeing the subject of his fear, "What's wrong? What's the matter?"

"There's a spider," Amelia pointed to it, "Loki, could you-" Before she could ask her husband to save their son from the tiny, threatening arachnid, Aster swooped in and grabbed the spider none too gently before throwing it away into the bushes with all her might - Amelia wasn't entirely sure the arachnid would be walking away uninjured.

"O-oh," Amelia murmured, watching as Aster went back to eating her satsuma, completely unbothered.

Kari, however, looked as though he had been saved from certain death. He rubbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, sniffing quietly, and double-checked that his leg was completely free of insects or arachnids before he allowed himself to calm down. The boy shifted and wrapped his arms around his sister in a grateful hug, saying what sounded suspiciously like, "Thank Asdah," instead of 'thanks Aster'. Another adorable display that warmed Amelia's heart.

"That's a good girl," Loki praised his daughter, and then looked at Amelia with vague amusement, "he gets that from you, you know. Your ridiculous phobia of spiders. If he didn't see you screeching and jumping away from those tiny creatures, he wouldn't bat an eyelid at them."

Amelia pouted, because it sort of sounded like her husband was scolding her, "Well excuse me," she whispered, "but they're bloody terrifying."

Loki rolled his eyes and then chuckled, "Ironic that your nickname for him is 'bug'."

"Shush," Amelia grumbled, shutting down her husband's light teasing. The children finished eating their lunch, well, apart from Aster, because apparently she didn't enjoy the jam sandwiches enough to eat more than one small bite, but Amelia let it go instead of encouraging her to eat the rest. There wasn't much use in forcing Aster to eat something she didn't want to, Amelia just had to work on finding nutritional foods that the fussy girl _did _like.

Amelia resumed cuddling up to Loki's side as the children left the picnic blanket and continued their little game that involved playing in the dirt and pulling up weeds and blades of grass. They would both be needing a bath when they got back to the palace - Amelia could already spy a smudge of mud on Kari's cheek, and their clothes were in a far worser state.

She could see Loki's face in the very corner of her eye as he tried to refrain from asking them to stop playing in the dirt; it turned out he was very averse to the idea of the people of Asgard seeing his children caked in grime and looking very un-royal.

"They look like peasants," Loki murmured under his breath, frowning at his kids and their desire to roll around in soil, "they're supposed to look majestic and _clean."_

Amelia snickered to herself, "They're eighteen months old. Let 'em get dirty once in a while, love. Staying clean and _prim and proper-" _she mocked his accent as she spoke those words, "-can get kinda boring."

Loki gave her a weary look, obviously unimpressed by her attempt at copying his accent, which only served to make her giggle all the more, "You're awful at that, you know?"

"I know," Amelia smirked.

Loki shook his head, "You're absurd sometimes."

"I should hope so, that's why you married me." Amelia flashed her husband a coy, knowing look, to which he gazed back into her eyes with a look of contentment and absolute love. He tilted his head down and stole a quick kiss.

"I suppose you're right," he responded when he pulled away.

Amelia grinned and glanced down at her hand, working it into the sign gesture he had shown her earlier, '_I love you', _and Loki smiled fondly, eyes alight with adoration.

It would have been an utterly perfect little picnic outing if, at that moment, Kari hadn't made a whining noise of distress and drawn both Amelia's and Loki's attention just in time to see him vomit up his lunch and promptly stumble over off his feet. Amelia stood quickly, watching Aster look at her brother with wide eyes before looking helplessly over at them like she didn't know what to make of the situation.

"Oh, bug," Amelia spoke sympathetically, making her way towards the boy.

"Perhaps we should have made them sit and let their food go down," Loki said with a frown, feeling somewhat accountable for just allowing his children to run around like little monkeys so soon after eating. He watched Amelia kneel down and help the boy stand while he pulled all their bits and pieces together, shoving them back into the wicker basket under the assumption that they should probably head back to the palace and get the boy cleaned up, but he paused when Amelia called his name, a trace of alarm fluttering through the wavering tone.

Loki looked up. Amelia had the back of her hand placed against Kari's forehead, the boy was struggling to stand up straight and was heavily relying on Amelia holding him upright. Something was wrong.

Loki stood quickly and rushed to his wife's side to examine his son's suddenly deteriorated condition.

"He's not very well, Loki-" Amelia was saying, her eyes full of concern and apprehension.

Kari's skin was pale and clammy, his eyes were glazed over, he was whimpering softly like he didn't have the energy to cry loudly and his breathing was uneven. For a moment, Loki didn't know what to do, because his mind was reeling over the fact that his son had been perfectly fine just half an hour ago, and now he was barely _standing, _clearly afflicted with some sort of sickness.

"I-I think we should take him back-" Amelia was cut off when little Kari slumped forward completely, and Loki reacted like a bullet from a gun, scooping him up into his arms and checking that the boy's breathing was okay.

It was almost raspy.

Kari was getting worse with every passing minute, and Loki realised then that he couldn't afford to take his time getting his son back to the palace. He needed to be faster.

Loki rose up in a flash, cradling his ill son close to his chest, "_I'm taking my horse,"_ the words came out in a panicked rush, "the guard will escort you back, meet me in the infirmary." He was already running back down the path that led to the area where they had left their horses. The ride _to _the lake had been calm and slow; Amelia still wasn't confident on her horse and so a palace guard had guided her horse's reins as he walked alongside them; Loki couldn't afford to waste the same amount of time getting Kari back.

"My son's sick, I'm taking him back," Loki spoke to the guard who was standing waiting by their horses and pointed a finger in Amelia's direction, "go to my wife - escort her and my daughter back _safely." _Loki hated to leave Amelia and Aster in the care of anybody other than himself, but this was truly an emergency. The guard did immediately as he was told, jogging down the path to find Amelia.

With quick, deft hands, Loki quickly tied the carrier sling around himself and made sure Kari was secure within it before hopping up onto his horse and urging her into a gallop almost instantly, "Ride fast, Velvet," he commanded strongly with one hand on the reins, the other palm held against Kari's chest to try and stabilise him through the fast pace.

Kari was still awake, Loki could tell from the weak noises of discomfort escaping him every few moments, and even as the wind rushed past him from the brisk speed of the horse, Loki heard as his son cried out one heart-wrenching word, "_Hurts!" _

Loki hated that his son was in pain, "Shh, I know, I know. I'm taking you to Inga, she'll know what to do." He hoped more than anything that he was right. "You're going to be fine." He was saying it to assure himself more so than his son.

With his lightning fast horse, he reached the palace in less than twenty minutes after a few near-miss collisions with Asgardian civilians; they all looked at him with disapproval, as if they thought he was racing fast for the hell of it like he and his brother used to do when they were younger, but if they knew the real reason, they would have stepped aside in a heartbeat.

Dismounting from his horse in the courtyard, Loki barked an order to a stable hand to take care of his horse and took off in a sprint, holding Kari close to his chest so that he wasn't being jogged too hard. The boy's skin was damp with perspiration and the colour was far from healthy, he looked almost ashen as he lie trembling in Loki's arms, his face scrunched with affliction.

"Almost there, we're almost there," Loki told his son as he zipped through the palace hallways straight to the infirmary where he knew Inga would be at this time.

He made it there in a matter of minutes, bursting through the double doors into the wide room; Inga was in the middle of tending to another patient, but as she looked up in moderate shock at the intrusion and spotted Loki - panic-stricken and calling her name - her eyes fell to Kari and she stood immediately, firmly requesting one of her assistants take over what she was doing so that she could inspect the young prince.

Loki's fears were not alleviated when Inga took one look at Kari's state and immediately demand that he be brought over to the Soul Forge; the Asgardian healer looked pressed, moving quickly and without hesitance, so Loki followed and did as he was told, placing his sick child onto the illuminated surface.

Kari's eyes widened when he was placed down, a flicker of fear and reluctance showed on his face at the thought of his father taking a step back, and he voiced his worry, "No, nooo," the boy whimpered, reaching out towards Loki. With a heavy heart, Loki pushed his son's arms down to his sides.

"It's alright, I'm right here. Lie still. Inga's going to figure out why you're unwell." He was gentle but firm, remaining resolute even as Kari's eyes filled with tears and the little one took a shuddering breath.

Inga got to work, initiating the Soul Forge which came to life with a notable wave of orange light; it projected Kari's form at eye-level and highlighted the discrepancies in his physiology, the Asgardian healer's gaze examined the evidence of Kari's condition with fast, scrutinising eyes, while Loki watched with bated breath, hoping the woman would soften and proclaim that the boy did not have a serious ailment.

Instead, she grew all the more urgent.

"Dilated pupils, tachycardia, slight respiratory distress," she spoke to herself and then rushed across the room to her workstation where she usually created various potions and concoctions to aid her patients in their recoveries from various illnesses. She practically threw the cupboards open and began picking out specific ingredients in a hurry. "When did his symptoms start?" She called suddenly across the room to Loki, who shook his head slightly as he tried to focus on answering her question instead of worrying for his child.

"Ah- about… twenty-five minutes ago."

Inga glanced back over her shoulder, a flicker of uncertainty passing over her face, "They came on suddenly? You are sure he had no symptoms this morning to indicate illness?"

Loki shook his head, "He was _fine _this morning." The boy had been more than fine, he had spent the morning stumbling around happily, singing and dancing and playing like the healthiest of toddlers.

"Where were you when this began?" Inga inquired as she threw different ingredients into a bowl and heated it to a boil.

Loki stepped closer to the Soul Forge when his son began to cry, large tears dripping down the sides of his face, and he carded his fingers through the boy's untamed curls to comfort him, "We were at the lake. Down by the bank, not far from the pier, in a clearing," he detailed, "the kids were eating lunch, they got up to play and Kari was sick - I assumed his stomach hadn't yet settled, but this… this is bad."

Inga frowned, pausing momentarily, "Is that the clearing with the yew trees?"

Loki looked at her cluelessly and shook his head, "I- I don't know. What do yew trees look like?" The foliage and greenery of Asgard was vastly different than it was on Earth, and while Loki had been relatively knowledgeable in his botany studies when he was younger, he knew practically nothing about Midgardian shrubbery except for the names of various flowers, thanks to his wife.

Inga ignored his question and asked another of her own, "Loki, did your son eat anything he shouldn't have? Like berries, or- or _anything _that may have fallen off the trees?" There was an underlying hint of gravity to her tone that Loki did not find soothing.

He looked to his son, eyeing the boy pointedly. Did Inga think the boy had some sort of food poisoning? Loki wanted to say that no, he knew for a fact his boy hadn't eaten anything off the ground, but he recalled that he hadn't had his eyes on the children one-hundred percent of the time, and knowing Kari, it was entirely possible he _had _picked up something and decided to eat it.

Loki cursed his son's fixation with food.

"It is... not implausible," Loki answered, almost ashamedly. He was ashamed that he had never taught his son the importance of not eating everything he saw, and he was ashamed that he hadn't been more mindful of the children.

Inga breathed a troubled sigh, "Take him to a vacant bed," she instructed as she paused in her potion-making to pick a vial off the shelf. Loki followed the order, picking up his weeping son and transporting him to the closest available bed; Inga approached with the small vial and a bucket.

She puffed up the pillows and sat Kari up, "Hold him upright," she said, and Loki placed a steadying hand on Kari's back, feeling the tremble of every breath the boy took. Inga uncorked the vial and held it to Kari's lips, "You have to drink this," she told him with no room for argument, tilting the boy's head back gently with one hand so that he would have no choice but to obey.

Inga's pushiness was evident of her alarm, Loki merely rubbed his hand carefully over Kari's back as he swallowed a gulp of the potion and scrunched his face up in dismay. The taste had clearly been undesirable. Loki frowned as Inga held the bucket up for him to take, "What's this for?"

"He's going to vomit again soon," Inga explained, "courtesy of the contents of the mixture he just drank." At Loki's answering glower, Inga continued, "The concoction will absorb the contents of his stomach so that he cannot digest anymore _poison, _then I can give him the medicine that will hopefully reverse the effects of whatever it is he has eaten."

"_Hopefully?" _Loki parroted, not liking the dubious choice in words, "What exactly do you believe he has eaten?"

Inga returned to her workstation to continue brewing what Loki assumed was the medicine Kari needed, "My best guess is yew berries. They're brightly coloured and _look _edible, which is enough for a child of Kari's age to deem as perfectly fine to eat."

"And the side effects include?"

"Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, muscle spasms, heart palpitations, drowsiness, unconsciousness and…" she trailed off.

"_And?" _Loki did not like where this was going.

"...and death, if a lethal dosage is ingested," Inga finished carefully, focusing on her brewing.

Loki felt his throat grow tight at the healer's words. He looked to his son, who was leaning over the bucket looking very much like he was about to throw up whatever was left in his stomach - his eyes were glazed with pain and his face was pale. It was so far from the norm to see his boy looking anything but happy and healthy, and the knowledge that the child's life was in danger shook Loki to his very core.

"And…" Loki began, and had to swallow as his mouth was suddenly very dry, "and what is the lethal dose?"

Inga did look back at him this time, and her expression was grave, "For _Midgardian _children… just one berry."

Loki felt like _he _was going to be sick. He looked at his son and silently prayed to every god he knew that Kari would recover just fine. He didn't know what he would do if anything _happened _to him; he didn't know how he would break the news to Amelia if Kari's condition worsened, all he knew was that he couldn't lose his son. He couldn't.

He tried to still his shaking hand as he rubbed Kari's back tenderly. Loki held onto his hopes. Inga had said that the lethal dosage for a _Midgardian _child was just one berry, but Kari was part Jotun - his race was known for their natural resistance to disease and poisons. If Kari had even a shred of Jotun blood in him, Loki hoped to the gods that it was the part of him that could overcome this affliction.

For once, Loki would be grateful at the thought of his Jotun heritage.

His thoughts were interrupted as Kari vomited into the bucket and proceeded to sob in his discomfort. "Good boy," Loki whispered, "you're a very brave boy, Kari."

Kari was crying again, he didn't quite acknowledge his father's words, because he was pleading for somebody else, "M-...mama?"

Loki swallowed tightly, his gaze flicking back to the double doors he had rushed through barely ten minutes ago. He wasn't sure how long it would be before Amelia turned up - the journey would no doubt take a while as Amelia was having to be led there at walking speed, or at least as fast as the guard could escort them. If only Amelia could ride a horse like an expert, she would probably have been right behind him. Loki regretted not teaching her more efficiently.

"She- she'll be here soon, little one. Just hold on." In reality, it could be another half hour or more before Amelia arrived. Loki begged the gods to give his son strength.

"Want mama," Kari weeped, coughing and spluttering as he did so.

"I know," Loki breathed, "She's coming."

Inga approached suddenly with a bottled liquid, "I have it," she announced, seemingly frazzled by how quickly she had brewed the mixture, "Kari, I need you to drink this-"

The boy flailed when Inga brought the bottle near his face, obviously put off by what the last concoction had caused, "No… no!" He protested, turning his head away when Inga tried again.

"Kari," Loki said firmly, "You _must _drink this. It will make you feel better."

Kari shook his head, trying to scoot away from Inga, wailing the whole time, "Mamaaa!" He was going to continue to refuse the medicine, it seemed, and Loki didn't want to risk forcing it down his throat only for him to spit or cough it up, so he breathed a frustrated sigh and stood up, ignoring Inga's look of nervous confusion, and took a few steps away from the bed to stand just beyond a partition where Kari could not see him.

In a flash of green magic, he transformed his outward appearance into that of his wife and stepped back out into view. Inga understood immediately, holding the potion out for him to take, which he did as he returned to his seat by Kari's bedside.

"Hey," Loki spoke using his wife's gentle voice and accent, he allowed his face to soften, eyebrows unfurrowed, and gave the boy one of Amelia's sweet smiles, "hey bug. Shhh, it's okay, I'm right here."

Kari quietened almost immediately, a few stray sniffles and whines escaping him as he calmed down from his overwrought state and peered up at who he thought was his _mama _with wide, relieved eyes. "Mama?" he whimpered, reaching out to be held.

"I'm here," he told the boy, "you're very brave, bug," Amelia rarely called him anything but the affectionate nickname she had for him, "I need you to drink this, alright? It'll stop your tummy from hurting." Loki lifted the bottled medicine up before him and Kari looked at it with trepidation.

Sensing his reluctance, Loki continued, "If you drink this, you can have chocolate pudding as soon as you get better." He was not above using little bribes if it meant his son would recover.

The mention of chocolate pudding made Kari's eyes light up, and after another moment of hesitance, he gave in, obediently opening his mouth to drink the offered medicine. The antidote seemed to be a lot less disgusting than the previous mixture he'd been forced to imbibe, because Kari's face didn't scrunch up in revulsion, instead he simply sipped the elixir until it was all gone.

Loki let out a breath, handing the empty bottle back to Inga, who seemed just as relieved. The healer inspected Kari for a few moments - he still looked a little queasy and pained, but now that he had drank the medicine, there was a good, hopeful chance that he would recover.

"When will we know that he'll be okay?" Loki asked with Amelia's voice, speaking his wife's accent with a lot more ease than she had with his earlier that day, and idly stroked Kari's forehead.

Inga looked briefly thoughtful, "Unless his condition worsens within the next two to three hours, he should be fine. We can keep a close eye on him until then."

Loki nodded, looking back to Kari who was now lying down, curled up on his side and clutching his _mama's_ hand tightly, as if afraid that he - _she_ \- would disappear if he didn't hold onto her securely enough. As soon as Amelia turned up, Loki would transform back into himself, but until then, he felt it best to take her form and keep Kari pacified, even if it meant deceiving him.

Loki stroked Kari's head with his free hand, watching his son with a heavy heart. _He'll be alright, _he told himself firmly, but he also couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Kari looked so small and helpless. He was an eighteen month old toddler and Loki was _scared. _If there was any chance that the boy was more Midgardian than he was Jotun, there was a strong chance he could succumb to the poisoning.

He had to avert his gaze skyward and blink away the moisture that gathered in his eyes at the mere notion of such a thing. He couldn't think like that. Kari was going to be _fine._

The young boy's whimpering drew Loki's attention back to his son, and he leant over the child, brushing his thumb over Kari's cheek, "I know, little one," he comforted the boy, "you'll start to feel better soon. I promise."

Kari's hand patted lightly against his own stomach as the boy sniffled, "Hurts…"

Loki chewed the inside of his lip and glanced up at Inga, who had returned to her workstation and was cleaning up several things that had fallen down in her rush to put together an antidote - he knew the healer would have offered something for Kari's pain if he were allowed to take it, which meant either the boy was too young to take a pain relieving elixir, or it would interfere with the antidote he had already consumed. So Kari would have to endure the pain.

Loki breathed a tense sigh, "Do you want kangaroo?" He knew the toy was his son's favourite, and that it would bring the child a whole lot more solace.

Kari looked up tearfully and nodded his head.

"Alright," Loki whispered, giving the boy another of his wife's winning smiles, "I'll ask somebody to retrieve it." Kari whined as he stood, the tiny had tightening on his own, and Loki quietly added, "I'll be _right _back, I promise."

He looked to Inga, "Can you stand with him for just a moment?"

"Of course," was Inga's immediate response, and she came over and sat by Kari's bed, examining him again while she was at it.

Loki walked away tentatively and then turned his attention to the double doors; he walked through them a little less dramatically than he had entered, and caught sight of a guard passing by. "You!" He called out, and the guard halted and turned, "I need you to retrieve my son's kangaroo toy from the children's room." His command was clear enough, but the guard blinked a few times and frowned.

"Oh- of course, but… what is a kangaroo?"

Loki understood the man's unsure expression and sighed, "It's… about this big", he held his hands apart to gesture the size of it, "light brown, fluffy, should be on the bed furthest from the door. Be quick about it, please."

The guard nodded with a little more confidence, "Right away, princess."

Loki faltered, remembering he was wearing his wife's face, and didn't bother to correct the guard. It mattered not. However, the guard's would probably all gossip at the fact that Princess Amelia had suddenly become a whole lot more pushy with giving orders - the thought almost amused him, because Amelia was so quiet and hesitant when asking the guard's for anything, making sure to throw in several 'please' and 'thank you's.

He rejoined his son, held his hand, and waited for Amelia to turn up.

* * *

Amelia dashed as fast as her legs could carry her - though her speed was limited to a brisk walk owing to the fact that she held Aster at her hip and didn't want to risk tripping up - towards the infirmary, her lips pursed with nerves as she went. Aster, as always, was completely quiet, but Amelia could sense that the girl was worried about her brother.

When Loki had sprinted off in a hurry clutching their son tightly, Amelia had had to hide her fear from her daughter, who seemed to know something was wrong; Amelia had said very little to Aster apart from the occasional _don't you worry, _and _Kari's gonna be fine, _by way of pacifying the girl. The whole journey back to the palace, however, Amelia had spent stewing in anxiety. Why would Kari fall so sick _so_ suddenly? The only thing Amelia could glean from Loki's reaction was that Kari was in _danger, _and that thought scared her.

She hated to see her child in any form of pain. He was just a baby, babies weren't supposed to suffer. She hoped more than anything that when she marched through the infirmary doors, she would find her son fully healed and no longer in distress. Inga _was _an amazing healer, so Amelia kept telling herself that there would be nothing to fear.

Her calf muscles were aching with the force of which she pushed her feet off the stone flooring at a pace she wasn't used to walking, but she couldn't slow down, not if her son was still in pain - what if he needed her? She couldn't waste anymore time.

Finally, after what seemed like far too long, she rounded a corner and saw the doors to the infirmary ahead of her. She sped up, shoes clicking hard as they came down upon the ground, and she saw Aster glancing up at her out of the corner of her eye, her expression - a mix of confused and worried - doing all the talking for her. She looked as though the thought going through her mind was '_it is most unlike you to rush around like this, mother', _and it perhaps seemed to highlight the urgency of the situation and make her more concerned for her brother.

As Amelia came up heavily on the double doors, her flighty strides were suspended when a voice called to her from behind, followed by footsteps.

"My princess! I have found it-" one of the palace guards approached and held up Kari's favourite toy - the cuddly kangaroo. The guard came to a stop before her, holding it out for her to take, "as you requested, your highness."

Amelia took the familiar toy without hesitation, looking down at it with a flicker of confusion before coming to the logical conclusion that Loki must have asked the guard to fetch it for the boy, knowing it would be a comfort for him, but that didn't explain why the guard spoke as if she was the one who requested it. Amelia chose not to address that line of inquiry.

"Oh- yes. Thank you," her fingers held the toy a little more tightly and she repeated herself quietly, "thank you."

"Of course, my lady. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Amelia blinked and shook her head, "Oh, no, that's okay…"

"Allow me to open the door for you," the guard offered, noting that both of Amelia's hands were now full, and quickly stepped around her, seeming eager to please. He pushed one of the doors in and stood aside so that Amelia could pass.

"Thank you," Amelia told him for a third time, nodding her head in gratitude. The moment she crossed the threshold of the infirmary, she recovered her previous train of thought - her son, her mind reminded her urgently, and she stepped fully into the room as the door fell shut behind her.

Her eyes gravitated over the occupied beds and fell on the cot where her small son's form rested. Amelia approached quickly, staring at the back of the head of the unfamiliar woman sitting beside Kari, and when the mysterious woman turned her head, Amelia froze as a shock flashed through her. She was staring at herself.

Another silent beat passed, and with a green flash, her doppelgänger stood and transformed into Loki.

The confusion and tension dissipated and Amelia slumped slightly in place, _yeah, that made sense._

Aster took the kangaroo toy from Amelia's other hand and then stretched her arms out towards the bed where Kari was curled up with his eyes shut, his face slightly screwed up in discomfort, and Amelia took the cue to step forward and place Aster down beside him, moving to sit in the chair as Loki stepped back.

"How is he?" Amelia asked gently, the waver in her voice betraying her emotions; her son appeared to be resting, but there were still specks of perspiration on his forehead and his skin was still clammy to the touch - the sight did nothing to settle her nerves, because surely if Inga could reverse his condition, she would have done it by now.

Aster crawled to the head of the bed, considerately sliding kangaroo down under Kari's arm so that he could cuddle it, and then she sort of gently slung herself over him in a protective embrace, laying her head against his arm and patting his shoulder. The innocent, caring gesture made Amelia want to cry. With one hand, she began to pet Kari's head, while the other rubbed Aster's back.

The beautiful display distracted Amelia enough that she didn't immediately notice when Loki didn't answer her question. She turned to her husband, eyes wide and fearful, her heart dropping to her stomach, and repeated her question more forcefully, "How _is _he, Loki?"

Loki's jaw clenched momentarily as his gaze flickered between Amelia and their children, and then he quietly admitted, "I'm not sure, yet," to Amelia's intense dismay; she stared at him with her mouth agape for several moments before urging him to explain himself.

"What do you mean?" Her voice trembled, and added, "_Loki?" _with a pleading tone.

Loki drew in a steeling breath, "Inga believes he has consumed poisonous yew berries down by the lake. They're- they can make a child _very _ill. She's administered an antidote, but she said it works slowly, we don't know if it will have worked for another few hours. She said to inform her at once if his condition worsens."

Amelia could hardly believe what she was hearing. _Yew berries? _She hadn't seen Kari eating anything off the ground, because she sure as hell would've told him off for it to dissuade it from ever happening again. A wave of perturbation went through her, "And… what happens if his condition worsens?" she inquired tentatively, "If he doesn't get better?"

Loki's gaze flickered away from Amelia's firm stare - he couldn't look her in the eyes. "He'll get better," he assured Amelia, but his words were unfortunately lacking in conviction. Amelia swallowed tightly, her eyebrows furrowing and her face scrunching up tightly as she blinked back tears.

In the hours that followed, Kari thankfully showed signs of improvement, until finally Inga declared that he would make a full recovery; the boy's strength returned after spending the rest of the day in the infirmary where Inga could monitor him, and by the time the healer was confident enough to discharge the boy, he was already asking about the chocolate pudding he'd been promised earlier that day. The child's insistence for it brought Loki a whole world of relief. The king was made aware of the issue, and Thor immediately called for the removal of the yew trees, commanding that more harmless saplings be planted in their stead so that such an accident would not occur again.

Of course, Loki believed they could avoid a repeat of the same situation if he paid closer attention and kept a tight watch on his children. He was aggrieved with himself for not watching the twins the entire time, angry that he had looked away for even a _moment _that something like this could have occurred.

He hadn't had his eyes on Kari every second of every minute of every hour they had been at the lake, but he knew who _had _been paying closer attention.

That evening, Loki took Aster aside and asked her firmly if she had witnessed her brother eating any berries, or anything of the sort off of the ground, and she answered no with a shake of her head.

"We aren't angry," Loki clarified, "we would just like to know the truth." He asked her again if she had seen Kari eating red berries, but she remained adamant in her answer, shaking her head 'no' with a pout on her lips.

Loki didn't know if she was covering for her brother - clearly she understood that her mother and father were very upset about it and that it linked to Kari's illness; perhaps she believed that nodding her head in assent would put Kari in trouble. Loki did not know, but it left a sickly feeling in the pit of his stomach nonetheless.

* * *

**I would GREATLY appreciate if you could leave a review, it really truly helps to hear that my writing is appreciated 3**

**Anybody wanna know what the next chapter is gonna be about? It's one that several of you have been waiting for! That's right, it's time for blue babies ;)**

**Hope you all had a happy Halloween, if you celebrate it that is ;) I played a scary video game with my friend and then had some pretty awful nightmares lmao.**


	31. The Sweetest Hue

**Hey everybody! **

**So, I'm currently self-isolating because a friend of mine who I was with just last week called me up and informed me that he tested positive for COVID! So ain't that lovely. So far I feel totally fine, but I'm having to remain in my room in case I'm asymptomatic. It's not a huge bother though because I pretty much just stay in my room all day anyway. Thought I'd take the time to go ahead and write the chapter you've all been waiting for though! ;)**

**I hope you all enjoy this very long chapter! :D**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Thirty-One: The Sweetest Hue

The twins' second birthday had been celebrated two days ago and the toddlers hadn't really understood why everybody was paying so much attention to them, lavishing them with gifts of toys and pretty clothes, or why they were allowed to eat so many sweet treats, but they certainly didn't complain. Amelia had been fretting over the condition of the childrens' teeth while Loki had seen no problems with it.

He declared that the twins could eat what they wanted on their birthday, and Amelia had cynically responded "yeah, sure, are _you _gonna clean up their vomit or do I have to?"

"A maid will," Loki responded dismissively, either not picking up on her sarcasm - _unlikely _\- or just simply ignoring it.

Predictably, Aster had eaten a few too many sweet cakes and thrown up all over the new dress she had received; Amelia had shot Loki an '_I told you so'_ glare across the table as maids had stepped forward to clean the girl up while Aster whined in discomfort, probably still suffering from an achy stomach.

"Oh dear," Loki had stated, giving his daughter a sympathetic look, like Amelia _hadn't _warned him hours prior that she was on-track to throwing up. That was when Amelia had stepped up and stopped Kari from eating more treats, lest he were to end up just like his sister, which of course had caused the boy to start crying because from his perspective, there could never be enough food that would leave him satisfied.

Amelia was convinced that if she hadn't stopped Kari, he probably would've thrown up and then just continued to eat. It was a wonder the boy hadn't ballooned to the size of a small elephant given how much he was prone to snacking, but Amelia figured it was more than likely to do with Loki's genetics. Loki similarly could eat a lot, but never seemed to put on weight. Maybe Jotuns just had a very fast metabolism, and perhaps the kids had inherited that from their father.

Anyway, that had been a couple of days ago. Today, Loki was attending a meeting as Thor's chief advisor, talking about expansion and concerns and various other discussions that happened to pop up with the monarch. It was secret stuff, Loki either wasn't allowed to explore those matters with her, or he chose not to. It didn't bother Amelia, though, she had enough on her plate raising her two children, she didn't need to hear about any concerning issues beyond her control within Asgard.

Since Loki had told Amelia his meeting would take some time, she had decided to take the children outside for a short while despite the very cold temperatures. It was below freezing and there was a soft, white blanket of snow covering the ground in the palace gardens, so she had had the children bundled up in warm furs from head to toe, along with scarves, mittens and bobble hats just to be on the safe side. They deserved to experience snow for the first time up close and personal, but she didn't want them to be too cold.

It was amusing, watching the bundled children waddle along the path - in their current attire, it wasn't easy for them to move around so much, but their curious little minds didn't let that stop them. It was adorable to watch.

At first, they just stared at the white snow in confusion, wondering what it was and why it had replaced the colourful green of the grass and the many different hues of the flowers that had been there months prior, and then they took their first steps atop the snow and listened to the slight crunch of it beneath their boots.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Amelia whispered, speaking quietly because she felt that talking any louder would disturb the peacefulness of the gardens. It was beautiful outside, with the bright white snow upon the ground and the sun showing its face in the sky, everything just felt like it was shining and vivid.

"It pretty," Kari parroted, the words slightly muffled from behind the scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face.

Aster stepped onto the ground where the grass was soft beneath the snow and had more give, her little boots sinking in a little more than they had on the path, and immediately she began moving excitedly from one foot to another, crushing the snow beneath her feet and giggling as she did so.

It was too sweet.

Amelia sat down on the nearby bench, watching her children play in and discover the snow for themselves; it seemed a positive experience thus far if their enthusiastic happy noises were anything to go by. Amelia herself pulled her gloves on a little more tightly and sunk into her cloak, wrapping it firmly around herself to try and keep the cold from permeating through her. There was no way she could stay out here with the kids for too long, her cheeks were already on the way to becoming rosy and she already missed the warmth of the fireplace in her and Loki's bedroom.

"Having fun?" a soft, feminine voice called, and Amelia looked up to see Signy approaching. She was dressed similarly to Amelia, wearing a big cloak and gloves and a bright smile on her face.

Amelia patted the bench beside her, inviting the Asgardian woman to sit and join her, which Signy did with a shiver; the woman copied Amelia's method of keeping warm, which was to wrap up tight and pray that her body heat didn't escape.

"I see you take to the cold as well as I do," Amelia observed with a snort.

"Oh," Signy smiled, "yes, myself and the entire population of Asgard. We aren't acclimatised to these kinds of temperatures. The palace on our homeworld was situated in an area of perpetual Summer, so we didn't really feel the cold all that much. We've had to start getting used to it now, though." She made a noise of dismay and shivered again.

"It's colder here than in Manhattan," Amelia informed, "this is my first Winter in Norway, and, uh, it's pretty dang cold." While Winter was beautiful in and of itself, Amelia missed the colours of Summer flowers.

"I'm sure it'll warm up before we know it," Signy replied optimistically, also yearning for the days where one could comfortably walk about without a big furry cloak on their shoulders.

"Hopefully."

"What about them?" Signy nodded her head towards the little ones, smiling at them as they played contentedly ahead.

"Well, it seems that they don't really mind the cold," Amelia scrutinised her children closely, watching for any sign of discomfort from the chilling temperature of the air. She raised her voice slightly, "Kari, Aster, are you warm enough?"

Kari replied airily with a simple '_yes',_ more focused on creating footprints than anything else, while Aster was squatting down and flattening the snow with her mitten-covered hands, paying no attention whatsoever.

"Aster," Amelia repeated herself, waiting for the girl to acknowledge her, and then signed with her hands alongside her verbal speech, "are you warm enough?" It was to prompt the girl to respond with the sign language she had been learning for the past six months. It was slow moving, but progress was being made, both for Amelia and for Aster.

Aster made a fist and moved it up and down at the wrist, the word '_yes' _in American Sign Language. Amelia gave the girl a pleased smile and nodded her head as the little girl went back to her snow-flattening experiment.

Amelia turned back to Signy, "I think they get it from their father. The cold doesn't affect him. He could walk around out here in nothing but his underwear and it'd be like nothing was different to him."

Signy chuckled in amusement, "Well that's an interesting mental image."

At the ensuing lull in conversation, Amelia glanced over to her friend, watching her curiously as the Asgardian woman smiled fondly at the children. "So," Amelia began, a slight air of coyness in her tone, "your sister and the King."

Signy glanced over at Amelia, eyebrows quirked in surprise at the princess's playful tone, "My sister and the king?" She repeated dumbly, like she didn't know what Amelia was probing for.

Amelia smirked, "What's the hot gossip? Do I hear _wedding bells _approaching?"

Signy gave a small huff of a laugh, her breath escaping her mouth in a little white cloud, and shook her head. "What makes you think I would know how those two are getting along?"

"Um, because Inga is your sister?"

"Well, yes, but-" Signy paused, "She doesn't tell me _everything."_

"Well, what _has_ she told you?" Amelia asked. She was desperate to know where Thor and Inga were at in their relationship; it had been roughly two and a half years since they had first met and promptly made heart eyes at each other. The flirting came soon after and the rest was history. Amelia knew Thor had been looking for somebody, and he had found somebody who seemed to match with him perfectly.

The problem was, they were very quiet about their relationship. Secretive and reserved. Amelia was pretty sure that nobody beyond the king's advisors, except for a few guards, were in the know about Thor and Inga. They kept it private and far away from the eyes of the Asgardian populace. Amelia wasn't sure why.

"Well, the other day Inga was telling me that she thinks the king's beard is _too sharp," _Signy emphasized the last two words with an oddly embarrassed grin.

"Too _sharp? _What's that supposed to mean?" Amelia looked confused, wondering exactly how such a problem could arise.

Signy looked at her for a minute, eyes wide as her cheeks reddened from something other than the cold weather, "Yeah… _you know."_

Amelia blinked and frowned, "No. I don't?"

Signy pursed her lips, staring at Amelia for a few drawn out moments with a look that begged her to figure out what she was talking about, but Amelia had no clue at all.

"Are you actually gonna make me repeat what my sister told me about…" Signy trailed off, realising that Amelia wasn't faking her obliviousness, and she blushed further, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her giggles, "Amelia- wow, I thought… I really thought you'd know what I was talking about."

"Tell me already!" Amelia pleaded, feeling embarrassed that she didn't know what her friend was talking about.

Signy sighed and spoke very quietly, "You better not repeat this to anyone. My sister said that she didn't like how sharp his beard felt when they were, um, being intimate. Said it scratches her thighs." She covered her mouth in an instant, as if guilty that she had let such a thing slip.

Amelia stared at her friend in confusion, "Wait, wh- ...How does it scratch her _thighs _when they-" she froze, cutting herself off promptly as she realised what Signy was insinuating. Oh. Inga had just casually been telling her sister that Thor's beard hurt her thighs during _oral sex._

"Mm-hmm," Signy hummed.

Amelia covered her face briefly, mortification setting in, "Okay, wait- _why _was she telling you that?" Amelia couldn't even begin to imagine ever confiding in her brother about personal details of her sex life, perhaps Asgardians were a little less reserved than she initially thought.

Signy let out a sharp, loud laugh, "She didn't mean to- she was asking if I knew of any lotions that could soften beard hair, and I thought that was a _strange _question-" she paused to inhale through her laughter, "so I kept asking what she meant, why she was asking that, until she got really embarrassed and told me exactly why." She finished with a snort.

"So much for your sister _not telling you everything!" _Amelia snapped, sharing in the embarrassment. Well, at least Signy's words gave her a good, accurate insight into what level Thor and Inga were at in their relationship, "I feel like you shouldn't even be telling me this."

"Pft," Signy smirked, "it's payback for all the times Inga teased me as a child. Besides, I thought you would figure out what I was implying anyway."

Amelia groaned, hiding behind her hands again and gently murmured, "Loki doesn't grow facial hair… I don't _have _that problem."

Her words seemed to make Signy's joy return anew as she let out another bout of chuckles, trying desperately to stifle them. The children were glancing over with puzzled looks on their faces, wondering what mama and her friend were laughing so much about, heedless and unaware of the conversation that was going on.

"Look, I was _asking _about whether they were thinking of getting married, not details on their sex life," Amelia quietly reprimanded good-naturedly. Her face wore a smirk as she fought through her bashfulness, "Thor always avoids the subject, I don't get it. I thought he wanted to get married."

"They do," Signy pointed out after composing herself, finally shedding some light on her sister's relationship, "they definitely _do _want to get married, but they're nervous. And royal weddings take months and months of planning - sometimes even _years,_ and the King is caught up in his duties, and my sister is intimidated by the idea of being _queen _of Asgard," she shook her head, "there's plenty of reasons."

"Okay," Amelia nodded, "nervous about being queen, that's understandable, but you can't be telling me weddings take years of planning when I got married to Loki like three weeks after he proposed."

Signy shrugged slightly, grinning down at her boots like she was thinking about responding sassily but second-guessing herself, "Well, I think Prince Loki was feeling unusually impulsive after you were almost taken away, plus learning you were pregnant… I think he just wanted to make you his as fast as impossible."

Amelia smiled subtly, glancing over to check on her babies, "I was already his."

Signy rolled her eyes almost teasingly in response.

"Still, I hope Thor and Inga figure themselves out and get hitched soon," Amelia thought aloud, "I see the way they look at each other… the way they interact in the presence of friends. They love each other so much."

Signy nodded and murmured, "That they do," in agreement.

There was a beat of silence and then Amelia asked, "What about you?"

The question took Signy off guard, her eyes widening as her mouth fell open, "Wh- what do you mean?"

"You seeing anyone?" Amelia's eyebrow quirked impishly, "You jealous that your sister is the _king's _romantic interest?"

"_Pft," _Signy snorted in genuine amusement, "Not even. I remember when all the girls would fawn over Prince Thor, looking for any reason to start chatting with him - and he'd chat to _all _of them, mind you," she shook her head, and then seemed to pause, a flicker of mischief appearing in her eyes, and then she offhandedly continued, "Actually, I had more of a crush on Prince Loki when I was younger."

Amelia coughed and spluttered, caught in chortling surprise, and then her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, "Is that _so?" _She didn't quite know how to feel about the information that her friend had a crush on her husband, but Signy saw her expression and began to cackle all over again.

"Gods, you are so easy to wind up," Signy pointed out playfully as she pushed back a strand of blonde hair that had fallen from behind her ear, and Amelia rolled her eyes, realising that she'd fallen for a silly prank, "I never crushed on Loki. I've never really had a crush on anyone, to be honest." She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm happy being unattached anyway, I find myself caught up more and more in my work, sewing all day long. I find it therapeutic, you know?"

"Mmm. I wish I could sew like you can," Amelia said. Signy's creations were always immensely beautiful and had so much love and detail poured into them.

Signy shined at the compliment, "Why, thank you."

The conversation fell for a final time and Signy declared that she had to get back to her workshop. Amelia watched her go with a fond smile - the Asgardian woman had gotten so bold since they'd first met, and Amelia was truly glad for it. Signy had been timid and reserved after Eruk had taken her, but now she was loud and bubbly and surprisingly waggish. Amelia was glad to have her as a friend.

Amelia watched her children. Kari was picking up handfuls of fluffy snow and throwing it in the air while Aster twirled around, dancing in it as the snow fell down. Amelia couldn't help but think they'd be further dazzled if they saw the snow falling from the sky in real-time. It was unfortunate the current blanket of snow had fallen in the silence of the night.

"Are you both still warm enough?" She called out.

"Mama, look!" Kari shouted, continuing to throw snow up into the air and watch it fall, as if Amelia hadn't been watching him do that already.

"Wow!" Amelia played along in amusement, "How high can you throw the snow?" Her question prompted Kari to try and throw the snow higher and higher while Aster watched in awe.

Amelia smiled. _They were fine. _The cold really didn't seem to bother them.

A dark figure in Amelia's peripheral quickly drew her attention with a flutter of anxiety, until she realised it was her husband creeping up the path towards them, and she fully relaxed, giving him a wave. He didn't wave back, but he seemed glad to see her, and as he came closer, Amelia could tell he was just a little bit stressed out. It was incredibly subtle on his face, but Amelia picked up on it with ease - she knew her husband like the back of her hand.

Loki was dressed in his Asgardian leathers, which didn't look like the warmest outfit in the world, but as Amelia had been thinking just moments ago - her husband didn't even feel the cold. His gaze looked over the kids as he reached the bench and he sat beside Amelia, who immediately scooted right up to his side and laid her head against his shoulder.

"Heyyy," Amelia sighed, her tone vaguely sing-song in nature, "You look upset. Everything okay?" She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes, examining his face. He looked radiant as the snow reflected off his pale skin and brought out the beautiful green of his eyes, his black hair a stark contrast cascading down below his shoulders. Ugh, he was so pretty even when he looked kinda disgruntled.

He stared at her as she stared at him for several moments, and then he sighed, "I hate the snow."

Amelia gave him a small smile, "Well, your children appear to love it." With a fleeting glance, Amelia found that Kari had discovered that the grass was still present, just trapped beneath the layer of snow, and he was playing the part of a snow-plow, trying to kick up all the snow to free the nature underneath.

"Yes. I noticed." Loki's tone was clipped.

"Okay, tell me what's going on," Amelia said plainly, eyeing her husband with a knowing eye. It wasn't just the snow that was bothering him.

Loki surveyed his wife's face, his lips turning up at the corners only slightly, and he pulled off the leather glove that covered his hand. He reached up and pressed it to Amelia's cheek - she instinctively flinched, knowing that Loki's hands were _always cold. _But this time, Amelia found after a fraction of a second of contact that his hands were actually warmer than the air around them. She covered Loki's hand with her own, pressing it more firmly to her icy cold cheek, and sighed.

"You're too cold," Loki stated, "Perhaps we should go back inside."

"The children are having so much fun, I can bear it a little longer. Now, stop avoiding my question, what's up?"

Loki gave a slightly sarcastic huff of a laugh, "Alright, but first answer me this. _Why _did Signy just burst into fits of laughter as she passed me in the corridor, and why did she remark that you are lucky I don't grow facial hair?"

Amelia pursed her lips to stop herself from smiling, her cheeks warmed up just marginally at the embarrassment of what had occurred a little while ago, and she shook her head, "Trust me, you don't want to know." She didn't think Loki would appreciate hearing about what Inga and his brother were getting up to in the privacy of the king's chambers.

"Hmpf." Loki rolled his eyes, pulling his hand away to once again cover it with his leather glove. "The king's advisors are all a bunch of morons, that's why I'm _upset," _he said the word sarcastically.

"But _you're _one of the king's advisors."

"I mean _apart from me, _love," Loki mumbled.

Amelia paused, moving to rest her hand on her husband's thigh in a comforting way. She could have left her line of questioning there, but her curiosity compelled her to ask why exactly he was criticising those who joined him in advising the king.

"What happened, babe?" Amelia asked gently, preparing for her husband to bring the conversation to a stand still and diverge to another subject entirely, but surprisingly, Loki actually offered her some intel.

"The librarian did an inventory check on all the books in the library this week and found that a couple of the books had been replaced with fake copies - the insides of the pages were completely blank - and that the last confirmed checkout for those books were roughly nine months ago," Loki began wearily, "They were two books on _dark, _prohibited magic, and as such, were kept in the restricted section under lock and key, which means at some point in the last nine months, they have been stolen."

Amelia frowned. Somebody had stolen books from the library? And not just any old books - _dangerous _books? And they intended to cover their tracks by placing fakes in their place? That did not sound good. "Right… so…?" Amelia prompted tentatively. She knew it was bad, but why was Loki so infuriated by the advisors for bringing this to attention?

Loki gazed at his wife expectantly, "So," he grumbled, "they immediately accused me of being the one to steal them."

Amelia's eyes widened, "Uh, what?"

"They threw their allegations at me, pointed their grubby fingers in my face and told my brother I couldn't be trusted, without any evidence supporting their theories, I might add," Loki was practically seething, his tone snappy and vexed.

"Wait, hold on," Amelia lifted her hands in front of her and shook her head, "what- and Thor _believed _them?"

"No," Loki said at once, "Thor is less of an idiot than his advisors, he didn't think for one moment that I would do this. It's stupid, one would only need to use a single brain cell to deduce that I was not responsible for this mishap," he spoke, "after all, I _have _clearance to check those books out, why would I need to steal them in order to view their contents?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow, "You have clearance?"

Loki's eyes narrowed slightly at Amelia's surprised look, "Well, yes."

"You have clearance to check out books about evil magic?"

"_Dark _magic." Loki corrected tightly, "I don't like your tone."

Amelia laughed, "My love, I am not accusing you of anything. I am just curious, what kind of spells constitute dark magic?"

Loki looked almost pouty for a moment; Amelia could tell he had really been riled up in the royal advisors meeting given the fact he was acting all snippy with her.

"You know… the kind of magic that ignores things like morals and ethics. Necromancy, mind control, thought and memory alteration, spells that steal life from others and absorbs into the caster… intrusive spells that allow the caster to see into the minds of others." He listed them off with a shrug of his shoulders.

Amelia soaked up the information and looked thoughtful for a moment, "So who is on the records as being the last person to check the books out?"

Loki's expression went blank, "...I was."

Amelia gave her husband a sardonic look, "Are you kidding me?"

"Look," Loki began, his voice quiet but forceful, "I have my reasons for researching into that kind of magic, and I assure you none of those reasons are nefarious. Do you _honestly _think I would do anything to _harm _this kingdom?" He spoke hotly, truly distressed at how everyone seemed to be putting the blame on him, and Amelia shook her head immediately, dropping any playfulness and teasing she'd been harbouring in her expression.

Loki was not in a joking mood, that was obvious.

"No, love. Absolutely not. I know you didn't steal those books. I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were this upset." Amelia put an arm around her lover, leaning into his side again, and Loki visibly relaxed, looking just a little bit abashed that he had gotten over-emotional and thought there was even a chance his wife didn't trust him.

"I thought after all this time that they trusted me, but I suppose I'm the first to be suspected when anything unusual happens," he sounded exasperated, and then quietly added, "perhaps I shouldn't have spent my whole life playing pranks on them."

Amelia chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the situation Loki had found himself in, "Hey, listen… Thor trusts you. That's what's important. Your brother knows you, and I'm sure you'll all find out who the real culprit is, and then those advisors will be sorry they pointed fingers at you."

Loki turned his head, pressing his lips against Amelia's forehead and letting them sit there, "We've no clue where to look. These books could have been missing for up to nine months, any clues potentially left behind would be long-erased by now."

Amelia thought for a moment, feeling her husband's hot breath against the side of her head, "Is this something that… could be dangerous?" The thought of someone stealing those restricted books left her feeling uneasy - the books were prohibited for a reason, which meant there was a chance whoever took them intended to do harm.

Loki was quiet for a minute, which worried Amelia, and then after a short while he told her, "I'm the most powerful sorcerer in the kingdom, if anybody were to _try _and bring harm to the people of Asgard, they would not be able to overpower or outwit me. You're safe," he told her assuredly, "We're safe."

Amelia smiled softly. Loki's affirming words always made her feel so safe and secure, she didn't know what she would do if she didn't have him protecting her and the children. At the thought of her little ones, she turned her head slightly from where it was buried in Loki's neck and shoulder, and looked to Kari and Aster.

And she froze.

The twins had taken off their mittens, which lay forgotten at their feet, and both of them knelt on the snow-flattened grass, their fingers dug into the icy mounds that Kari had kicked up earlier in his attempt to reveal all the grass again.

It wasn't the fear that their little digits would contract frostbite that had Amelia holding her breath. It was the fact that their hands and wrists had turned a vivid royal blue from the icy contact. Amelia swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry with shock, and a million thoughts rushed through her head at once. Her mind was so filled with too many overlapping, indistinct notions that she could barely even figure out what she was thinking, but one thing rocketed above the rest of the white noise.

_Loki. _

He hadn't noticed yet. He may have assumed her sudden tautness was owed to the small gust of frigid air that blew through Amelia's hair and crawled down her neck, because his arm tightened around her minutely.

Amelia's mouth twitched as she rushed to form words, but her mind had yet to catch up as she struggled to figure out what to say in that moment. What _could _she say? _Don't look now, love, but the kids are looking a little blue. _There was no way she could gently inform him of what was occurring before them, in any way, without triggering any sort of negative reactions from her husband.

She knew Loki all too well. She knew that he always had and probably always would hold a grudge against the Jotun side of himself, no matter what Amelia did to try to convince him that it didn't define him and that there was nothing wrong with his birth form.

All Amelia knew in that moment was that things weren't about to get difficult and emotional.

"Don't freak out, Loki," Amelia breathed, the words rushing out of her mouth timidly.

There was a beat of puzzled silence, and Loki shifted, moving his face away from where he had been nuzzling her hair; his green eyes scanned her apprehensive face obliviously, a trickle of worry setting into his features as his eyebrows furrowed. He was about to question her seemingly odd request but his eyes flickered to Kari and Aster.

Amelia knew the moment it clocked. Loki's face slackened in shock, his eyebrows shot up and his mouth hung open. His eyes glazed over with something akin to fear.

"Loki…" Amelia spoke gently, in the same way one might address a frightened animal, "Just… it's okay…" She didn't quite know _what _to tell her husband to get him to calm down, she wasn't even quite sure he could hear her as he didn't react to her flimsy attempt to compose him.

"Mama, look!" Kari interrupted, using his favourite phrase to draw his mother's attention; he was stumbling over, his now-completely blue hands raised in the air, and Amelia wished in that moment that she'd had the foresight to grab onto Loki's arm to force him to remain still.

Loki jumped up and took a few staggering steps backwards, away from the bench, as Kari came to a stop before Amelia. Close up, Amelia could see the deep blue hue creeping up Kari's neck and begin to completely engulf the normally pale skin of his face.

"H-hey, bug," Amelia stammered with uncertainty, and lifted her gloved hands to press against the boy's cheeks, "um… are you cold?" Through her woolly gloves, she could feel the chill radiating from his cheeks.

"No mama!" Kari confidently proclaimed, waving his hands before Amelia's eyes. He paused, looking at his fingers curiously, touching his skin searchingly, "Look… look. Why blue, mama?"

He didn't seem afraid at all, looking mostly confused that his skin was changing colour - the boy was oblivious to his father's distress and his mother's apprehension, turning his hand over as he examined it with much interest, asking the innocent and unmindful question about why he was changing.

Kari blinked his wide eyes, looking up at his mother, and Amelia watched as his bright green eyes bled into red. Amelia was bewildered, but not for the reasons Loki was probably thinking she was. He hadn't said a word, standing a few steps back stock-still and silent as he stared with a piercing gaze at his children.

"I-I don't know, bug," Amelia murmured, unsure of how to address the subject, but she knew immediately that she couldn't let her children think this was a _bad _thing, "Um… probably the snow! How strange, that hasn't happened before." She forced a playful note into her voice for the sake of her little ones and glanced at her husband out of the corner of her eye. Still no response.

He was driving her crazy. Amelia _needed _him to say something and break the icy _\- no pun intended -_ atmosphere at once; she had no point of reference for how to deal with a situation like this and, well, she supposed Loki didn't really have one either. But he was always so quick to say the _right _thing after all the tens of parenting books he'd read through and learned from that it was so utterly nerve-wracking when he didn't seem to have an inkling for what to say.

_Please, _Amelia begged, _say something. Anything would suffice._

Loki faltered, taking another half-step back, looking between his two children with a pained expression, and then three words fell from his lips, so quiet that Amelia almost didn't hear him, "This is wrong."

_Anything but THAT._

Amelia's mouth hung open as she stared at her husband despondently. How could he possibly say such a thing?

Unlike Kari, Aster looked worried. She was a tad more perceptive, it seemed, because she knew this was unusual and completely out of the ordinary. Her face was also in the process of turning blue, her eyes growing red, it was a little more difficult for Amelia to detect the emotions flicking through the young girl's expression, but she was sure it all amounted to anxiety.

Aster turned to her dad and moved her arms around herself in an 'X' formation, sign language for the word 'hug', and Amelia drew in a breath, looking to her husband pleadingly. _Go to her and pick her up, _Amelia begged in her mind, and felt her throat tighten when Loki didn't immediately move to cuddle his daughter like he _always _did.

Aster noticed her father's hesitance. She lifted her arms expectantly, choosing another non-verbal way to request a hug from her dad, but again he didn't move, merely stared at her with that jarring look on his face.

Amelia bit at her lip, fighting the urge to snap at her husband, because from her point of view this was completely unacceptable.

Then, Aster walked towards him, arms still outstretched, waiting for her father to pick her up and hold her, but he didn't.

Loki backed away suddenly with a few sharp steps, holding one hand out to stop her in her tracks; he didn't want her coming any closer to him. He didn't want his _daughter _to step any closer. Amelia couldn't believe her eyes. Could Loki _see _himself at that moment? Did he understand how cold and callous he seemed? Did he understand how much that action could hurt Aster?

Aster looked heartbreakingly baffled.

Amelia glowered at her husband, who turned to look at her with an expression that was devoid of any composure. His face was scrunched up like he was trying hard not to cry, and underneath the surface there were waves upon waves of shame rolling off of him. He didn't hold Amelia's gaze for long, because moments later he turned and fled, walking fast with desperate strides out of the gardens and back into the palace.

Amelia couldn't believe what had just happened.

Aster's arms lowered slowly as she stared down the path where her father had just left her in a hurry. She suddenly looked very fearful, so she did the only thing she could think to do, which just so happened to be crying very loudly.

Kari looked between his sister and his mother in concerned puzzlement, his little face suggesting he was unsure about what had just happened, but perceptive enough to know that it definitely wasn't good. Amelia pursed her lips and let an exhale out through her nose as she fought to control her emotions in front of her children. She wanted to cry and shout out of frustration, more specifically - she wanted to shout _at Loki _for what he had just done, but she didn't want to lose her temper in front of Aster and Kari, so she tried her best to quash it.

Holding out a gloved hand towards her daughter, Amelia coaxed her to come closer, "Aster, come here sweetie." The girl took the invitation immediately and approached, her red eyes glossy with moisture; she joined her brother, hugging against her mother's knees in a bid for comfort, and Amelia leaned forward, cuddling them both tightly. She could feel the waves of confusion rolling off of them and it pained her.

"Daddy just got confused, okay? We'll go talk to him and figure out why he got upset, yeah?" Amelia assured them lightly, carding her fingers through Aster's hair. _Oh, she intended to talk to him, alright. _She just hoped she could do so in a calm, composed manner. Amelia truly couldn't remember the last time she had been _angry _at her husband.

She picked her children up with a little difficulty, balancing one on each hip, "You two are getting too big," she remarked almost forlornly - they were growing up too fast. Or maybe she needed to lift weights. Either way, it was a bit awkward carrying them both when she was used to carrying one while Loki carried the other. Another pang of irritation went through her at the insensitivity Loki showed when he simply left the children with her.

Holding the kids close to her body made her shiver, but she ignored the cold permeating through her clothing in favour of carrying the little ones back into the palace and heading straight for her and Loki's chambers. She became antsy as she passed guards and maids who stared openly at the children even after she had passed, she could feel their eyes burning into her back and she fought the urge to swing around, give them a terse warning glare and ask 'what do you think _you're _staring at?'

Instead, she didn't react to their gawping, and carried on as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, but Amelia was sure the Asgardians could tell she was in a mood from the very loud thuds of her boots as she walked.

When she reached her and Loki's bedroom, the guards - Svend and Ulfric - faltered at the sight of the children and then opened up the doors to the room, sensibly acting like nothing was out of the norm, and Amelia walked through in a huff, a bit too worked up to remember her manners and thank them for holding the door.

The room appeared empty, Amelia noted hesitantly, but upon further inspection, she noticed Loki's gloves had been thrown haphazardly onto the floor, which meant he was here somewhere - Amelia surmised he was probably in the bathroom. With a sigh, she stood awkwardly in place by the door for a moment, noticing the mystifying looks she was receiving from her children. Aster was still tearful, but had calmed down on the way back when Kari had grabbed and taken hold of her hand in a soothing way.

Amelia didn't want to confront Loki with her kids in her arms if it meant a shouting match could ensue, so she reluctantly looked back to one of the guards, "Excuse me, I need your help."

The guard - Svend - nodded and stepped into the room, "Of course, princess. How can I serve you?" He looked piercingly at Amelia's face with his bright blue eyes, and she could tell that he was trying with every bone in his body not to look at the children. It only served to agitate her even further.

"I need you to just watch my children for a minute - five minutes tops," she mumbled, crossing the room to place her children down on the bed amongst the cushions and soft furs. She dipped down to press a kiss to Kari's cold forehead, pinching his cheek playfully, drawing out a smile from the boy, and then did the same with Aster. Amelia wiped the girl's tear-stained cheeks with her thumbs and spoke softly, "Don't cry, little one. I'll be back soon with daddy, okay?"

Aster sniffled, moving to sit closer to her brother, who was quick to hug her. The sight sent a boost of tranquility through Amelia and calmed her just a tad; she stroked her hands through their hair, giving them an assuring smile, and stepped away from the bed. Amelia looked to Svend, who had followed her tentatively and was looking at the children warily.

"Oh for God's sake, they're not gonna bite." Amelia grumbled, and Svend immediately straightened, looking bashful and apologetic at once.

"Sorry, my princess. I would be happy to watch them." He stood by the bed showing a lot more confidence than before, and Amelia nodded in gratitude. She gave her children a playful little wave before circling around the bed and walking up to the bathroom door, which was thankfully ajar rather than locked.

She stepped in, pausing at the sight of Loki standing at the sink with his back to her, saw that his knuckles were white where he clutched the ceramic edges, and slowly closed the door shut behind her.

* * *

**A few minutes ago...**

Loki walked fast through the palace halls, his face stony and inscrutable. He ignored anybody who greeted him as he went, managing to remain completely unreadable outwardly, except for the rather aggressive footsteps that echoed down the corridors. The journey back to his and Amelia's chambers seemed awfully long, but once he made it there, he barked at the guards to open the doors and practically flew through them.

He tore his gloves off and threw them down carelessly before storming into the bathroom where he slammed the door behind himself. However, the faulty latch was already down and made an angry noise as it hit the locking mechanism and bounced back slightly, leaving the door to hang slightly open.

Loki didn't care enough to close the door properly. Once he was in the privacy of the bathroom, he let the mask drop off his face and released a shuddering breath, moving slowly towards the sink to stare at himself in the mirror. His complexion was white as a sheet and his eyes were dark and layered with unshed tears as he tried to choke down his shock and dismay at what he had discovered.

He should've known. He should've _known _that his children were just like him. Forever cursed with deep blue skin, bloody red eyes and a chilling touch; he grit his teeth and shut his eyes tightly as he thought of the realm he had been born into. Cold, desolate, a wasteland of ice and snow, completely devoid of any love. He'd been abandoned as a helpless infant for being nothing more than a runt, and subsequently lied to his whole life because of what he truly was, and it all sickened him.

He hated it, hated what he was. He wished he had been born into Asgard, at least then he wouldn't have to look in the mirror knowing that his magic was forever covering up the visage of a hideous, loathsome monster. But now it wasn't just that, now he had to look upon his children and be reminded that this was something he couldn't escape from - that there would never be a time where he could pretend he was truly just a prince of Asgard.

His heritage was the reason his father would never have allowed him to be king. The reason Odin always favoured Thor. The reason that even now, after so many years, Loki was filled with bitterness whenever he saw his reflection and remembered the man staring back at him was nothing more than a veneer. A disguise put in place to save him the humiliation of showing his true face.

And now his children had to suffer with the knowledge that they too were outsiders, different to all the others around them, that they descended from primitive, ugly, savage giants that their very own uncle had once sworn to massacre out of ardent hatred. Loki ran his hands down his face, scrubbing away the tears that had squeezed out, and then grasped handfuls of his hair till it hurt. What would Thor do when he found out?

What would _all _the Asgardians do?

The Jotnar were the enemies of Asgard. They were despised across the kingdom, Loki knew that the detestation and fear of Jotuns was still very prevalent throughout the domain, he would be a fool to think otherwise when the realms had been at each other's throats for many, many years.

The only reason the Asgardians tolerated Loki was because he had played a part in saving them from their bitch of a sister, Hela. But would they so readily accept Jotun half-breeds as their prince and princess when they knew the little ones embodied the visage of everything they hated whenever it snowed?

Loki clutched the sides of the sink tightly, refraining from using his full strength as he knew he could shatter the ceramic with ease. _Maybe there's a spell, _he thought, _a spell to hide their Jotun forms forever. _So they didn't have to look in the mirror and feel the same self-loathing that he felt.

But Loki knew there was no such spell. He knew all too well. He had searched for a spell like that ever since he'd learned of his true nature. Both he, Aster and Kari would always transform when faced with biting cold temperatures as part of a defense mechanism implanted in their DNA. It was unchangeable.

Loki's shoulders grew even more tense than they already were when he heard the muffled noise of Amelia's voice from the main room; she sounded stressed - well _of course _she did, she'd just realised that her beloved children shared her husband's freakish true nature. She was probably revolted and panicking, if Loki had to guess; he knew she had told him years ago before the birth of their children that she would love them no matter what colour they were, but that was then, and this was _now. _

He had felt the way Amelia had gone completely stiff in his arms when she'd seen them, the way her voice had wavered with dubiety when she'd addressed Kari in hesitation. She must've thought it would never happen - that was why she was so comfortable stating that it _didn't matter _before the kids had been born, because she'd been confident they'd look _normal._

The door behind him moved slowly in the mirror's reflection, and Loki forced himself to keep his gaze on his own face, unblinking. Amelia was there to show her displeasure at the development, to beg him to find a way to fix them with his magic, he was sure of it. She closed the door behind herself, ensuring that it closed properly before turning to face him.

"_Loki Odinson." _Her voice was low and outraged, and she called him by his full name, which knocked him off his current plane of reality for just a transient moment; he didn't think she had ever referred to him in that way before and it was enough to shock him into letting his eyes flicker towards her face fleetingly before once again landing on his own.

She looked _enraged. _

_She's mad that her children are contemptible Jotuns, _the little voice in his head told him.

"What is _wrong _with you?" Loki could tell Amelia wanted to shout, but she kept her voice hushed - try as she might, she couldn't keep the undertone of fury out of it. Perhaps she didn't even want to.

Loki did not look at her, "I should have known this would happen," he spoke quietly and acidicly.

"You should have known it was a possibility, in fact, you _did _know it was a possibility," Amelia rebuked, "so why this song and dance again, huh? We've been through this already before they were even born, so just _what is your problem?" _She sounded like she was close to tears and was trying so desperately hard not to show it.

A sour smile pulled at Loki's lips, "Surely it's rather obvious what the problem is, or had you failed to notice our children are _blue?"_

In her anger, Amelia lifted a foot and stomped on the tiled floor - it didn't have the desired effect of creating a loud bang, offering more of a dull thud instead, so she raised her voice slightly, "I hadn't _failed to notice, _Loki - and _what of it? _They're blue, _so fucking what?" _She made sure to hiss out the expletive so that nobody outside the room could hear it.

Loki finally turned around to face her, staring at her with disbelief, "So _what?" _he parroted incredulously, "They're _Jotun, _Amelia. This kingdom _thrives _on its hatred for _my kind. _What do you think will happen when all the Asgardians learn of this? How many of them already saw Aster and Kari looking like- _that? _Word travels fast."

"The Asgardians know what you are, Loki. It's not some big secret. They treat you with respect, why will it be any different with them?" Amelia pointed out tightly, staring him hard in the face with a resolute gaze.

"They've never seen my Jotun form! They never had to address it. Out of sight, out of mind! But now that they've seen _them-" _He put his hands on either side of his head, grappling with the thought, "Why did you walk them through the palace like _that? _You should've stayed in the gardens, hidden them from sight-"

"I will NOT hide my children from the world because they look _different," _Amelia interjected with wrath that would make the Gods quiver in fright. It certainly silenced Loki; he hadn't expected this side of his wife who was usually so quiet and forbearing and demure. He stared at her, gaze flicking between her glistening eyes.

"Do you love them any less now?" Amelia finally questioned, her voice cracking as she spoke the words.

Loki's eyes widened minutely as fresh tears welled up and threatened to fall, but he held them back. He did not love his children any less - that… that was one thing that had not changed.

"Do _you _love them any less, knowing what they are?" Loki turned the question back around on his wife, whose eyebrows furrowed in indignation.

"What they _are_ are my children, and I love them unconditionally. How could you possibly think I would ever feel any differently?" Amelia looked beyond hurt at the implication.

Loki's cynical thoughts promptly returned and he paced around the edge of the bathroom, avoiding Amelia's gaze, "Perhaps you would feel differently if you ever came face to face with one of them giant, ugly brutes."

"Don't be _absurd, _Loki."

Loki's voice swiftly became ladened with condescension as he looked to his wife with an aggrieved smile, "Oh, what, so you _love _the Frost Giants, is that what you're saying?"

Then, somehow, the usually small and reticent Amelia suddenly seemed so intimidating as she stormed towards him and shoved him hard in the chest, catching him off guard and knocking him off balance. He stumbled back, falling onto the steps on the outside of the bath, and looked warily up at his wife, expecting her to slap him round the face with how oddly aggressive she was being.

"I don't give a flying _fuck _about the Frost Giants on Jotenheim! They mean nothing to me, do you understand that? _You _matter to me. You and our children, you're the only Jotuns I care about. So forget for just a damn moment that the Frost Giants exist and focus on what's _important. Your family."_ Her eyes shone and her voice cracked, but she didn't seem to care as she fought to get her point across.

"You- you realise that just because they're blue with red eyes, it doesn't make them _evil _or _bloodthirsty! _You have to stop pretending those equate, because they don't. Get that in your goddamn head, Loki!" She continued to reprimand, her expression now taking on a pleading quality.

Loki gazed up at her, "I thought you were going to hit me," he admitted quietly.

Amelia's tears finally dripped down her face and she sniffed miserably and let herself slip down onto his lap, her arms finding their way around him in a firm hug. "Cause you're used to fighting your way through your problems instead of talking about them like a normal person," she mumbled into his hair.

Loki let his head dip onto her shoulder, all the pressure and tenseness of his body turning to exhaustion instead, "_Normal," _he repeated with a sarcastic huff, "I just wanted _them _to be…"

"I know," Amelia spoke when he trailed off, "You wanted them to be _normal. _But they aren't _normal _and nothing will change that. But do you know what?" Amelia pulled back, looking at her husband with her tearful red-rimmed eyes, "What's so great about being normal anyway?"

When Amelia's light-hearted attempt at making Loki smile failed to do so, she sighed and pushed a strand of his hair back out of his face, "I know you struggle with this, Loki, but… and _forgive me _if this sounds too insensitive, but you really have to _get over it. _For Aster and Kari's sakes." She offered him a small smile but her eyes were tired. Tired of, as she said before, going over the same 'song and dance' every time Loki's self-hatred flared up.

"You're too stuck on what your heritage determines you to be. How many times have you described Jotuns as giant, ugly brutes? That doesn't automatically pertain to you just because of your biology, does it?" Loki's self-loathing seemed to deflate at her use of logic, "Are you brutish? You can be a little rough around the edges sometimes but you're far from savage. Giant? You're tall, but you're not _that tall. _Ugly?" She gave him a soft little smile, "Certainly not."

Loki felt overwhelmed by her words, his emotions rising high as she fought to pull him out of his animosity towards himself. He felt his tears rolling down his cheeks, and immediately Amelia caught them, brushing them aside with her thumbs.

"Let yourself set the standard for what a _good _Jotun is, and teach your children and the rest of this whole kingdom that it's not something to be ashamed of." She cupped his face and kissed his forehead, "The way I see it… you can't hate yourself for being the same thing as your children, because that would mean you have to hate them too."

Loki seemed to flinch at the words, "I don't hate them… I love them."

Amelia smiled, "I know."

Loki's bit the inside of his lip, and a few stray doubts still managed to seep through despite Amelia's valiant efforts to knock him out of it, "But… but Aster was scared. She hates it-"

"She didn't know what was happening and she was confused, that's all. She looked to you for assurance," Amelia's smile fell suddenly, "Loki, you shouldn't have walked away from her like that. That was… it was the wrong thing to do, as a parent."

Loki knew he'd fucked up, and it filled him with disgrace. His lip trembled, and a tiny, tiny part of him still strove to justify his actions, "I didn't know what to do… I thought it was better to… remove myself from the situation… give myself time to think."

"You should've seen Aster's face as you walked away," Amelia told him gently, "She looked lost. It was a big mistake, Loki."

Loki lowered his gaze, nodding his head stiffly in acceptance of his blunder, "Am I a bad father?"

"No," Amelia answered at once, she tilted his head up gently, "Look at me. You made one mistake. That doesn't make you a bad father, especially when you can rectify this."

Loki looked at her, sniffing as he blinked away his tears; he admittedly felt undeserving of the second chance she was offering him - _how many second chances had she given him by now? It had to be in the low hundreds at least - _because to him, the choice he had made seemed unforgivable. The thought of making Aster cry, of walking away from her when she needed him, made him feel horrible.

"I'm sorry," Loki whispered.

"I'm not the one you need to apologise to."

He had already known that, but it felt appropriate to apologise to his wife regardless; Loki gave Amelia a slow nod, bringing his hand up to wipe over his face. If he was going to see his children, he needed to compose himself first.

"I need to wash my face," he announced, and Amelia nodded, moving to her feet and offering him a hand to help him up.

She hugged him again when he rose to his full height, which he returned with gratitude, and then pulled away, brushed her knuckles gently against his cheek, and told him, "It's going to be okay." Her tender tone and merciful smile were very persuasive, and Loki drew in a steadying breath.

"Thank you." He told her.

While he washed his face at the sink, rinsing away any signs of distress or dried tear tracks, Amelia left the room and returned to their children; Loki dried his face with a towel and spent a couple minutes making himself look like he hadn't lost control of his emotions. He hoped the children hadn't heard him snapping at their mother.

When he deemed himself presentable, he reached the door, hesitating for just a moment before forcing himself to proceed. He left the bathroom purposefully and took a few steps towards the bed where Amelia was now sitting cross-legged behind the children, _still blue,_ who were in the middle of being entertained by the guard, Svend.

The bearded Asgardian man, usually so stoic in his duties, was knelt beside the bed, clutching one of Aster's stuffed wolf toys in his hand, moving it around as if it was walking across the furs and putting on a deep voice as if playing a character, "I'm hungry! Where's my dinner? Have you seen my dinner?" he pretended to growl like a wolf, suddenly rushing the toy towards Aster feet, "Are _you _my dinner?"

Aster apparently found it hysterical, because her loud, high-pitched giggles filled the air, she practically threw her head back from the hilarity of it all. Kari echoed his sister's joy and Amelia grinned with them.

"You're very good with kids," Amelia remarked to Svend, who flashed a smile of his own.

"My wife Astrid and I plan to have our own," he revealed.

Loki watched the scene unfold with incredulity. He had thought the Asgardians would react with sharp repulsion to the sight of blue skin and red eyes, and yet, Svend was playing with the little ones as if nothing was amiss. Had Loki gotten it all wrong? Had he truly just catastrophised the whole thing?

He really, _really _needed to stop making assumptions. He was surprised Amelia hadn't told him that just yet.

Loki approached the bed, walking into view, and all eyes turned to him. "Thank you, Svend. You may go now," Loki spoke after clearing his throat, and the guard stood quickly, giving the children and Amelia a brief smile.

"Of course, my prince." He gave a short bow of his head and returned to his post outside the room.

Loki looked at his children. They were both staring up at him with uncertainty, and he hated that he was the reason they looked at him that way; he felt urged to remedy it at once, and forced a smile onto his face as he knelt at the end of the bed.

He tentatively reached his hands out for them. "Come here," he encouraged as gently as he could, knowing that the moment they made contact with his skin, he would begin to transform as well. He knew it had to happen. So that he could show his children they had nothing to fear. And so that he could convince himself of that fact, also.

They crawled towards him without hesitation and Loki felt a burst of warmth within himself, because he hadn't expected that after walking away from them.

Loki scooped them up, holding them close to himself, and he felt their icy skin against his own; Aster's hands went to his face, cupping either cheek tenderly, and for him, it immediately spelled forgiveness. Loki smiled at his daughter even as he felt himself begin to transform, and he leaned forward, pressing a long kiss to the side of her head, and then doing the same to Kari. "I'm sorry for leaving you in the garden," he told them gently, "it won't happen again."

They were looking at him with wide eyes now, and Loki knew it was because his pale face had changed to a darkened blue, his green eyes had become red, and they could see the lightly raised markings on his skin. Aster began tracing them with her fingers, and now that Loki saw them closely and clearly, he found that they too bore the same markings on their skin - they were a lot more faint than his own, but they were there, just like his. The realisation made him emotional.

"Why blue, dada?" Kari repeated his question from earlier with renewed vigour, and Loki looked briefly to Amelia, who nodded in reassurance.

"Because… it's just who we are," he told them both, "when the air gets too cold, or when we touch snow, we change," it felt difficult to acknowledge out loud, he stammered a few times through his explanation, "our skin changes to blue and it's cool to the touch." He didn't know how much of this they were absorbing, if they really understood what he was telling them, but he told it like it was and didn't overcomplicate it. "Once we're warm enough, it will change back to what it was before."

Aster didn't look afraid anymore. She looked happily up at her father, no fear or upset in her red eyes. Kari looked between his father and his sister, and then to his mother, and extended one accusatory blue finger towards Amelia.

"Why not mama blue?" His inquiry was all muddled out of order, and Loki chuckled slightly; he understood, of course, what his son was asking, but he didn't immediately know the right words to explain his answer in a way that wouldn't confuse the little ones.

Amelia took charge, "Because I'm different. If I touch snow, I just get cold and I need to wear a big fur coat to feel warm again, unlike you three." She winked at Loki, who felt somewhat floored at her answer.

_She _was different? Loki had to think about it for a moment. He supposed she was right. Within the parameters of their small family, Amelia was the odd one out here. Not Loki, not the children. And Amelia didn't seem to mind labelling herself as the 'different' one.

"Hey, look here, what do you see?" Amelia was holding up a hand-mirror, showing Loki and the children their reflection.

At the sight of himself, Loki's gaze fell and so did his stomach, an automatic reflex. Seeing himself like that was difficult, and perhaps it always would be.

"Three Jotuns," Loki quietly answered, letting out a slow exhale.

"Well," Amelia began gently, "I see a handsome father and his two beautiful children."

Loki lifted his eyes again, blessed with the sight of Amelia's winning smile, and he managed one in return. He loved that woman beyond the boundaries of the Nine Realms, even if he didn't quite understand her attraction to his blue form.

And yet, his children _were_ beautiful just as Amelia had said. Even in their Jotun forms. So maybe he needed to trust her judgement when she called him handsome, maybe he wasn't as unprepossessing in this form as he had always believed.

He looked at his reflection again, lifting his chin a little higher. He unfurrowed his eyebrows, taking the rigidness out of his expression, softening it.

It was just him. But blue.

Amelia was right - how could he hate himself when his children were the same as him?

"Hey," Loki whispered, addressing his children, and they looked up at him curiously, "let's all give mama a hug, shall we?"

They were happy and keen to do so, quickly jumping up out of his arms and rushing across the bed to all but tackle Amelia, and Loki swiftly followed, crawling over to envelop her in his arms as she yelped in surprise.

"Wh- hey! You- you're all still _really_ cold, you know!" Her words were drowned and barely intelligible amongst her laughter.

* * *

**Hello again! Thank you so much for reading! It would really, really help me out if you could please leave a comment and hey, leave a kudos if you haven't already! If you're enjoying this story then I would absolutely love to know! Comments fuel me!**

**I'll give you all a hint at what the next chapter holds: magic babies ;)**

**Thank you again to all of you, I love seeing your feedback!**


	32. You Remind Me of the Babe

**Your comments in the last chapter were absolutely wonderful to read, thank you so much everyone!**

**I love these babies with all my heart. I hope you enjoy this chapter ;)**

* * *

Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Thirty-Two: You Remind Me of the Babe

Loki lathered Aster's hair with shampoo as she played with the rubber ducky floating around in the bubble-riddled bathwater; she sat silent and still, perfectly behaved, unlike her brother Kari who found it inexplicably hilarious to keep slapping his hands into the bubbly water, causing it to go everywhere.

"Kari," Loki began plainly, "Stop splashing me, this is your's and your sister's bath, not mine," he flickered his gaze to his son, frowning to let him know that he wasn't in a gaming mood that morning.

The boy had already kicked up a fuss that morning and was just being all around _difficult _while Loki changed his diaper, refusing to cooperate as it were, which had resulted in a bit of an unwanted mess. Hence the unscheduled bath, which Kari hadn't been happy about either. It seemed the boy was in a bit of a mood today, because upon being gently reprimanded by his father, the boy glared back at him and splashed _even harder, _shower Loki with sudsy water droplets.

Loki made a disgruntled noise and grabbed Kari's arm firmly, "Listen to me, you will _stop _splashing me right now, because if not, you will not be getting any dessert after dinner tonight."

Aster's head perked up at the mere mention of dessert and she gave her brother a look that seemed to almost translate to '_are you really gonna risk that?' _And if that wasn't enough, she signed the word 'stop', and Loki wondered for a moment whether Kari would actually listen to his sister after disobeying his father.

Kari gave Aster a sour look and then pouted up at Loki, "I get out now," he announced confidently, lifting his arms in request for help to escape the bathtub. Loki pursed his lips and continued to lather Aster's hair.

"You will wait until I've washed your sister's hair, and then you can both get out of the bath," Loki told his son clearly.

Kari did not find this to be an acceptable answer, because he promptly stood up and tried to climb over the edge of the bath himself, declaring, "I get out _nowwwww!" _

"Hey- _no," _Loki grabbed Kari by both arms, stopping the boy's poor attempt to escape, "you don't stand up in the bath until it's time to get out," he reminded his son sharply, wanting the task of cleaning his children to just be over and done with already so he could hand them off to Amelia and grab some breakfast.

Kari whined unabashedly as Loki forced him to sit back down, but otherwise did as he was told this time, the threat of no dessert that afternoon clearly looming in his mind enough that he begrudgingly obeyed the rules of bathtime.

Loki grabbed the shower head, "Tilt your head back," he told Aster, and then began to rinse the shampoo from her hair when she did so. She automatically covered her eyes with her hands; Loki always tried his best to avoid accidentally getting water in her eyes, but after the very few times he had failed, she always took matters into her own hands to avoid it now. The small action brought a flicker of amusement to Loki's face in the sea of frustration Kari had been causing.

Once Aster's hair was free of suds, Loki exhaled a breath, thankful _that _ordeal was over. Usually Amelia was happy to volunteer to give the kids a bath, but she'd woken up with a bit of a headache, so Loki thoughtfully offered to take on the task, assuming it wouldn't be such a tribulation. From that day on, he would openly praise Amelia for her ability to bathe these children without any trouble.

In retrospect, Loki figured he probably should've pulled Aster out of the bath first, but Kari's whinging was getting on his nerves, so he picked Kari out and placed him on the mat, telling him adamantly, "_Wait there."_

It wasn't until he turned back to reach for Aster that the boy suddenly took off through the open door back in to Loki and Amelia's bedroom, still dripping wet and covered in bubbles, and Loki almost lost his balance where he was knelt when he lunged to try and grab the child before he trod wet footsteps over the carpet, to no avail. Kari was surprisingly fast for a two-and-a-half year old. Loki bit back an expletive and proceeded to pick Aster out of the bath, quickly wrapping her in a towel as the sound of Amelia yelping in surprise echoed back into the room.

"Sorry," Loki called from the bathroom, apologising for not having more control over the errant child, and Amelia answered with a light chuckle. She'd been relaxing on the bed waiting for her painkillers to kick in and dull the ache in her head when he had taken the children to be bathed initially.

"It's okay. I just wasn't expecting to be hug-tackled by a wet, naked little boy." Amelia's laughter seemed to indicate that she was feeling a bit better, which was good, but if Kari continued to act up that morning, it was likely that headache would come back very quickly. He'd have to have a word with his son about ensuring he was _dry _after his bath before sprinting off around the whole room.

Loki sighed when he realised Kari had probably gotten soapy bubbles all over the bedsheets as well. "What are we going to do with your brother?" he asked Aster quietly, a hint of exasperation in his voice as he used the towel to dry her hair. The girl simply gave a shrug, to which Loki snorted. He wrapped her in the towel and then cuddled her tightly, the sound of her giggle easing his frustrations ever so slightly. "Alright, let's get you two dressed."

* * *

Kari continued to fuel Loki's frustrations by deciding to eat only the marshmallow pieces from his bowl of Lucky Charms cereal, meeting his father's gaze challengingly when he was asked to finish all the 'boring' pieces too. The boy was dead set on causing mischief that day, and Loki was slowly beginning to understand just how much grief he had caused everybody in the palace when he was just a boy.

"Kari, there's four spoonfuls left, just eat them. Please." Loki practically begged the child, "You _love _food, why are you being picky today?" Usually Kari would consume anything put in front of him, so Loki didn't quite know how to convince the child that his cereal was worth eating, even without the colourful bits of pure sugar.

"I want colour-wing," Kari explained, pointing just across the room to the play area, where his colouring book and crayons were scattered across the floor.

"Oh, you want _colour-wing, _do you?" Loki responded, squinting carefully at the boy, "Only well-behaved little boys who eat all of their cereal get to do colouring, so you best eat up."

Kari sat in his high-chair, swinging his legs out of boredom as he looked down at his cereal bowl distastefully. His expression changed and he looked to his father again, face softening, eyebrows rising up, eyes widening and glistening, and he gave his best pout, and murmured in a quiet, pleading voice, "Want colour-wing."

Loki clenched his jaw at the fantastical display of manipulation he was witnessing; if it wasn't for the fact his own son was trying to guilt him into giving him the colouring book before he'd finished his breakfast, Loki may have been filled with pride. Instead, he made a noise of irritation in the back of his throat and managed _just barely _to resist the toddler's puppy-dog eyes.

He stepped forward and moved the cereal bowl front and centre on the high-chair surface, pointing at it meaningfully, "Eat first, colour later." With that, he turned to Aster, who was sitting patiently in the high-chair adjacent to her brother, miraculously having finished all of her Lucky Charms, and decided to show Kari that good behaviour was rewarded.

"Good girl, Aster," Loki picked the girl up out of the high-chair, speaking loud and clear to ensure Kari heard, "now that you've finished your cereal, what would you like to do?"

Aster, ever quiet, used the sign language she had learned thus far to communicate her request, with thoughtful gestures she signed the words 'mum' and 'hug'. Loki was filled with pleasant warmth at how sweet his daughter's wish was, "You want to hug mama?" At Aster's answering nod, Loki smiled and glanced over to where Amelia was currently relaxing on one of the sofas watching television.

"Did I hear that right?" Amelia called, head slightly raised after Loki had mentioned her, and she outstretched her arms, "Am I needed for cuddles?"

"You are indeed," Loki chuckled, walking over to the lounge area to place Aster in her mother's awaiting arms.

"Oh, my sweet little flower," Amelia sighed happily, wrapping her arms around Aster and holding her lovingly, "have you come to keep mama company? That is tremendously lovely of you, my dear petal," Amelia's voice had a melodic, song-like quality to it, the exact tone that Loki loved to cling to even when it wasn't being spoken to him. He found extreme joy in the sight of Aster sprawled atop her mother's chest with her arms wrapped tightly around Amelia's neck, eyes closed with a content smile on her face.

Now, if only Kari could find it in himself to be content like his sister that morning.

Loki turned back to his son, approaching with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised; the toddler had refused to eat the remainder of his Lucky Charms yet again, and was looking wistfully across the room where his colouring book and crayons were littering the floor. Kari put on another pout as he locked eyes with his father, perhaps hoping he would get his way if he acted cute enough.

Ignoring the pleading look from the young boy, Loki picked up the empty bowl on Aster's high-chair and took it to the kitchen, placing it idly in the dishwasher; he lingered for a few moments, opened up the fridge and pulled out the carton of orange juice. He poured himself a glass and gulped it down, added the glass to the dishwasher, turned back around, and paused.

He took a few steps towards his son and faltered, finding that the boy had pushed his Lucky Charms aside and was now vigorously colouring a page in his colouring book with a red crayon - the same colouring book that had been discarded on the floor across the room.

Loki frowned, looking to where Amelia was now sitting upright on the sofa, quietly singing a nursery rhyme and attempting to style Aster's hair. "Amelia," he called slightly irritably, "did you give him his colouring book and crayons after I said he couldn't have them?" He spoke with a hint of condescension, displeased that his wife would undermine his authority like that.

Amelia only managed to look confused, "Um, no? I'm all the way over here?"

Loki gave her a cynical look, "If you didn't give them to him, who did?" He put his hands on his hips, daring her to lie to him again.

Amelia quirked an eyebrow, looking amusedly between Loki and Aster, before giving a slight chuckle, "I think daddy's losing his marbles, huh?" She tickled her daughter as she said that and Aster squealed with laughter, then she hugged the girl and addressed Loki once again, "I've been over here with Aster the whole time, love."

Loki's jaw clenched. She… didn't appear to be lying.

"Then how did he get them?" Loki was genuinely confused now, wondering how in the world his son had obtained the items he was forbidden from using until he finished his breakfast. Had one of the Avengers slipped in and out and given the boy what he wanted? Without him noticing? Impossible.

Loki took the book from his son's grasp, holding it up as the boy let out a whine of upset. Kari's eyes immediately began to glisten with unshed tears but Loki pushed for an explanation, knowing they were nothing but crocodile tears, "Who gave you these?"

Kari looked at him for a moment before shaking his head, which didn't really tell Loki anything. "Use your words," Loki told the boy, "How did you get this?"

The boy reached for the colouring book with a stretched out arm, making a grabby motion with his fingers, and then proclaimed tentatively, "Book flied." Loki didn't know what to make of his son's response for a few moments.

"It… you're saying it flew? It _flew_ from the floor?"

Kari blinked his wide eyes and nodded his head.

Loki looked at the colouring book with a frown before glancing over his shoulder at Amelia, who was watching with a curious, interested expression. Aster had fallen silent in her arms and was pointedly staring at her brother. A sudden thought crossed Loki's mind and he returned his wide-eyed gaze to his son, eyebrows raised in surprise.

He dropped the colouring book to the floor, took a step back and said, "Show me."

Kari frowned, the furrow of his brow looking almost comical when the child's face was usually so soft and unassuming, but he seemed to relent, and Loki's theory was abruptly proven correct when the boy waved his fingers, his digits exuding a faint green glow, and the book shifted, lifting itself falteringly off the ground and into the air. It wasn't a very smooth demonstration of magic, but Kari achieved what he was trying to do - the book levitated towards him and he flailed as he grabbed it, laying it out so that he could immediately begin colouring again.

Loki was floored. He didn't even notice the huge grin on his own face until he let out an elated chuckle. _His boy could use magic._ He had hoped from the day they were born that they would inherit his magical aptitude and here his son was, levitating a book without any prior training, nothing but sheer will and determination driving his ability, and Loki was pleasantly stunned.

"Oh my goodness!" Amelia exclaimed, verbalising his thoughts in that moment.

Loki grabbed his son under his arms and lifted him from his high chair, "You can do _magic, _my son can do magic!" He held the child up, full of absolute pride, his joyful shouts startling Kari into confusion, but the child promptly found the positive attention to be quite wonderful as shown by his shrieking laughter.

"Amelia, did you see- did you _see _what he did?" Loki showered the boy with praise, spinning around in jubilation before pressing a big kiss to Kari's cheek. Kari reacted adorably, pressing his hands to his dad's face and kissing him on the nose in return.

"I saw!" Amelia laughed, "How did he do that? I thought you said they needed to be _taught _to do that?"

Loki held his son at arm's length, staring at him in wondrous amazement, "Some sorcerers are gifted enough to use magic without any formal training…" His smile grew bigger still at the thought of equating his son to a sorcerer, a tiny magic-user in the making; there were so many things he would teach his boy to do, he would pass on the knowledge his mother gave to him and raise Kari to be a skilled spellcaster.

"Now do colour-wing?" Kari asked hopefully, looking longingly at the crayons, and Loki laughed, his mood improved ten-fold at the new knowledge of what his son could do.

"Yes, of course, you can colour now," Loki proclaimed, grabbing the colouring book and a few of Kari's crayons so that he could colour in the play-area rather than on the high-chair, "You have earned it." Kari gave a noise of excited contentment and immediately got to work scribbling on the page once he and his book were placed down.

Loki sat back on the couch and simply stared at the boy, imagining himself teaching his son how to propel objects with force, how to create illusions and how to master the use of cloaking spells - just to name a few things - and it filled him with a renewed sense of delight. He felt beyond proud, all the stresses of that morning had just melted away.

Eventually, Loki looked back to Amelia and Aster, and he found that his daughter seemed to be even more quiet than usual, if that were possible. Loki wondered then if Aster could also do what Kari did, so he plucked up one of the crayons his son wasn't using and placed it down on the coffee table, kneeling beside it. Aster watched him carefully from where she sat still in her mother's lap.

"Aster, can you move the crayon? With magic? Like this, see-" he levitated the small object with ease at the very subtlest flick of his finger and Aster stared at the little wisps of green that raised the crayon up into mid-air. "Go on, you try." He let it lower back to the table and then sat back, waiting for Aster to demonstrate what she could do.

Aster seemed somewhat excited at the prospect of doing what Loki had just done; she eagerly slipped out of her mother's lap to the floor, landing on two feet, and came to the edge of the table, observing the crayon for a moment like it held the secrets to the entire universe. Her gaze rose to her daddy's face and she looked uncertain, but Loki encouraged her with a smile and a slight nod of his head.

The girl extended her hand as her father had done, and concentrated real hard on the purple crayon, her brow furrowing and her eyes narrowing immensely. That expression on her face looked quite ridiculous, but Loki watched in anticipatory silence, waiting for the object to hover into the air.

The crayon, however, remained stationary.

Aster pouted, looking up with moisture in her eyes, and gave a few sorry-for-herself whines that tugged at Loki's heartstrings. Loki forced a smile onto his face, squashing down the tendrils of disappointment that crawled around in his mind - because that wasn't fair to Aster, he shouldn't have assumed she would be able to do exactly what her brother had done, after all it wasn't common for magic-users to be gifted at such a young age prior to any training. But then he found himself wondering if Aster simply did not have any magical potential within her, and that thought disheartened him.

When he imagined himself training his children in the art of magic, he imagined them _both _as his students, not just one of them.

"It's okay," Loki said anyway, trying to catch Aster before she started crying, "it… it doesn't matter." It was the wrong thing to say, because Aster promptly began to weep. She must have sensed the disappointed undertones of Loki's attempt to assuage her, and it made Loki feel awful. Perhaps he shouldn't have praised Kari so overwhelmingly in front of Aster before knowing if Aster was capable of the same things.

"Hey! Hey, it's okay sweetheart," Amelia sang, pulling Aster back into her lap and awaiting arms, "It's okay, you'll figure out how to do it one day, little one," she soothed, but upon catching Loki's wavering expression, she faltered slightly. She frowned at Loki when Aster wasn't looking, and Loki gave a small shrug of uncertainty. Amelia sighed, rubbing Aster's back.

Just when the girl was beginning to calm down, Kari's little voice interjected, "Need purple!" and the crayon on the table zipped through the air to his awaiting hand, flickering with magic tendrils, and the sight renewed Aster's wailing as a reminder that her brother could do something amazing that she could not.

Kari didn't appear to understand why his sister was crying so hard.

* * *

Aster was eventually calmed when Loki retrieved two small chocolate pudding cups, knowing the girl wouldn't continue to cry while she was being fed her favourite treat, and by the time she had finished eating the sweet little dessert, the reason for her previous misery seemed to have slipped her mind.

Loki was frustrated with the fact that he had to take Kari aside and ask him not to use magic in front of his sister. It felt wrong to dissuade Kari from taking the steps that would teach him to later hone his skills, but Loki wasn't sure how else to fix Aster's tearfulness regarding the subject of magic. He hoped that Kari would listen to him for the time being, and that it was just a temporary fix until Loki thought of something.

It became more and more clear why his parents had had such a… _trying time _raising him and Thor together. Loki had used every single chance he had gotten to get a rise out of his brother with the use of his magic, whether he was using his spell proficiency to agitate Thor and make him jealous, or whether he was using his spells to play pranks on the unsuspecting oaf, he had earned the title of _The Trickster _well and truly. Now, Loki understood a little more from his mother's perspective and how difficult it had been for her to stop him from purposefully harassing his brother.

He was lucky that Kari seemed to have a little more tact than Loki himself had at that age; while his son didn't understand why his flimsy use of magic upset his sister so much, he understood that it _did, _and he didn't want to see his sister upset, so he refrained from showing off, though it was a struggle. Loki could understand the confusion from his son's perspective.

Kari knew that his use of magic brought his father a lot of joy, and thus he wanted to continue to make things levitate, to see his father smile so widely once again, but with the knowledge that it made Aster react the complete opposite way, it was so very difficult for him to make the conscious effort not to.

Loki was convinced that if Aster's unhappiness wasn't an element in the equation, Kari's mischievous side would easily win out and he would use his newfound magic abilities left and right. The child's bond with his sibling was clearly something that was largely profound. Perhaps it was a twin thing, or perhaps Loki and Amelia had done something right in raising them thus far.

It was several days after the magical revelation of Kari's abilities that Amelia and Loki found themselves sitting in bed one late afternoon with the children in their laps, watching a Disney movie - _Aladdin_ specifically - to pass the time before dinner. It wasn't Loki's preferred way of passing time, but the children loved watching Disney movies and Amelia seemed to enjoy it a lot too. She had mentioned on more than one occasion that she and her brother used to have Disney marathons every so often well into their adult years. Loki didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about, they were just animated films with lots of colour and catchy music, each with their own positive message or moral lesson, but he dutifully sat and watched them for the sake of his children.

Kari loved the song segments, swaying from side to side on Amelia's lap while she quietly sang every lyric as if she was an Aladdin expert, which she probably was. Hell, Amelia probably knew every lyric to every Disney song, Loki wouldn't be surprised with how enthusiastically she had claimed she loved every movie.

Aster was a little less enthused; she was still watching the movie, but her attention was only partially on it. She sat in Loki's lap, wrapped in her soft, green blanket, playing idly with a plush toy of a black dragon, looking up to the television only occasionally; it was rather amusing to watch her pet the dragon like it was a living, breathing animal.

Loki looked to Kari with a smile, the boy was trying to sing along despite not knowing the words of the song, which resulted in him making quiet, vague noises that sounded nothing like the melody, but he was clearly having fun doing it. The boy had always had a love of music, perhaps inspired by the many times Amelia would sing to him and his sister throughout the day.

Speaking of Amelia, she had begun swaying in time with Kari as she sang, and it was utterly adorable. Loki found more entertainment in watching Amelia as opposed to the movie that was playing on the large screen ahead of them.

"_Prince Ali, handsome as he, Ali Ababwa,"_ she sang quietly so as not to overpower the television volume, "_That physique! How can I speak? Weak at the knees!"_ Loki quirked an eyebrow at the lyric. Ridiculous. The song implied this cartoon man was some sort of gorgeous sight to behold, but he was two-dimensional and fictional. Loki was both a real prince _and _gorgeous, but Amelia never sang songs about him.

Amelia continued, seemingly getting more and more into it, "_He's got ninety-five white Persian monkeys! And to view them he charges no fee!" _She moved Kari from side to side in time with the music and the boy giggled along merrily.

Loki didn't have ninety-five white Persian monkeys, true, but he had so much more to offer. _What would Amelia ever do with that many monkeys anyway?_ Loki had to stop himself before he got too far into his silly thoughts - was he really becoming oddly jealous of a fictional character? These Disney movies really did drive him crazy.

"_Prince Ali, amorous he, Ali Ababwa! Heard your princess was a sight, lovely to see-AHH!" _Amelia suddenly shrieked, startling everybody present. She jumped off the bed in a rush, clutching Kari to her chest and shielding his eyes from something, "Lo- Loki, oh my god, big spider- big spider!" She hurriedly motioned back to the bed, and Loki felt his eyes rolling as he searched for the offending arachnid. Amelia was always so terrified by the eight-legged little beasts that somehow managed to get in through the tiniest gaps and find their way to the upper levels of a huge tower, and Loki was always tasked with helping them find their way out - or sending them to their doom, either way.

He peered down at the bed and almost sputtered at the sight of what was truly a _huge _spider. Absolutely massive, unusually so. Loki slid off the bed, holding Aster away from it in the unlikely-but-possible scenario that the thing might pounce for her, and then tentatively reached for it with the intent to pick it up by one of its long legs.

Amelia whimpered as his hand drew closer to it while Kari worriedly repeated "Spider? Where spider?" in a small, frightened voice.

The moment Loki's hand came into contact with the unbelievably large arachnid, however, it disappeared in a blitz of green light, and Loki faltered.

Amelia gasped and then turned an accusatory glare on her husband, "You! Why did you think now was a good time to do one of your stupid little pranks? In the middle of a Disney movie!? With the kids right here?" She pointed a wagging finger at him.

Loki gaped, looking between the spot where the spider-illusion had been and his wife's face. While he was definitely guilty of creating spidery illusions every now and then to scare his wife - _the noises she made when she was scared were rather cute _\- he definitely hadn't done so just then. He _definitely _hadn't. But then, if it wasn't him, who was it?

He looked to the only other magic-user in the room, little Kari who was mumbling nervously in Amelia's arms as he squirmed, and Loki knew immediately that his son hadn't been the one to cast the illusion - he was _terrified _of spiders just as much as his mother was.

"It… wasn't me." Loki murmured, and Amelia frowned in confusion.

"Whaddya mean?" She asked, staring at him like he had lost his mind.

That's when a slew of mischievous giggles interrupted them. Loki's gaze fell to his daughter, whose expression was full of delight as she clutched her plush dragon and blanket and swung her legs excitedly. She looked up to him, searching for approval, her big grin a sight to behold, and Loki felt his heart pumping with elation.

"Was that you? Did you make the spider appear?" He asked carefully, because he had to be sure. It was possible - if Aster _did _have magical potential, she may have seen him pulling the same prank on Amelia in the past and thought to replicate it.

She signed the word '_yes'_ with her little fist, and Loki had to fight to contain his joy; he looked to Amelia who seemed to understand in that moment just what had occurred, because her agitated expression quickly turned to surprise.

And then, because it was only fair, Loki swung Aster around as he had done with Kari, savouring the sweet sound of his daughter's squealing laughter, and he hugged her tightly, pride swelling in his chest at the knowledge that not one - but _both _of his children had inherited his magical prowess. _Both _had exhibited natural magical talent at two and a half years old.

He was going to teach them so many things. They were going to be powerful sorcerers just like him.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you, little flower. That was _amazing," _he told the girl, nuzzling his nose against hers. "I'm going to teach you all the spells I know - both of you," he addressed his son too with twinkling eyes, and Kari - now assuaged with the absence of the spider - clapped his hands happily.

Aster's eyes glinted contentedly as she smiled. Loki's mind was reeling. He was already thinking of what he would teach them first, laying out a mental lesson plan. He would consult his mother's journals to help him understand the best way to teach magic to a small child as Frigga had written her own experiences with teaching _him _her spells and tricks when he was just a child.

He would start with conjuration - no, illusions. _No, _on second thought, perhaps telekinesis would be a good starting point. He would definitely _not _teach them invisibility spells, because that was a headache he did _not _need. His children already made him nervous on the best of days, he didn't need them running around undetectable too.

There were so many things to think about. So many new pathways unlocked. He wanted to begin his teachings immediately, but Amelia would say it was too late in the evening to start now. Loki couldn't remember the last time he'd been so excited to do something - he would probably struggle to sleep that night.

"Darling, I'm excited too, but can you please - _please _not encourage Aster to make illusions of spiders. I'm begging you," Amelia pleaded quietly, sitting back down on the bed warily.

Loki licked his lips, unable to hide the grin on his face, and gave his daughter a subtle wink, "No promises, love."

* * *

**Kari is definitely gonna grow up to be a theatre kid. Now that these two tots are super-powered, you can only imagine the mischief they might get up to xD**

**For the next chapter, however, we'll have the Avengers feature a bit cause we all love Tony, Bruce, Nat and Clint. I MAY include some Peter Parker too, I haven't decided just yet, but here's the idea I'm going with: Tony's throwing a lil gala in the tower, there'll be all types of people present. There'll be jealous!Amelia and possessive!Loki, and maaaaaybe some explicit-rated content later in the chapter ;) I'm excited to write it!**


End file.
